After 40-day ultimatum to Yogi govt, Swami Avimukteshwaranand leads ‘Gau Dharmayuddh’ march from Varanasi to Lucknow
The yatra that will begin on March 7 comes following several heated exchanges between the seer and CM Yogi Adityanath, and could end in a possible face off with the administration.
An official spokesperson of Saraswati said the Lucknow event would be a “final warning” to the administration to meet their demands. (Source: File/ PTI) Escalating his campaign against the Uttar Pradesh government, Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati has announced a march from Varanasi to Lucknow beginning March 7, stating that 30 days of a 40-day ultimatum given to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath have passed without any action. The yatra is set to reach the state capital on Wednesday.
The announcement is likely to sharpen his confrontation with the state administration. The seer and Chief Minister have been engaged in heated public exchanges for over a month now — the former has been targeting the UP government and Adityanath since his alleged mistreatment during the recent Magh Mela in Prayagraj, while the CM had questioned Saraswati’s stature as the ‘Shankracharya’ of Jyotirmath in Uttarakhand.
Those close to the seer said the campaign, termed “Gau Pratishtha Dharmayuddh”, is seeking to press the government on cow protection measures. Saraswati will also hold public meetings across several districts enroute Lucknow.
Last month, Saraswati had given a 40-day ultimatum to the CM to act on key demands: declaring the cow as ‘Rajya Mata (state mother)’ of UP and imposing a complete ban on beef export from the state. “In 40 days, the chief minister should prove himself to be a Hindu. He should do these things and prove himself…,” he had said.
Saraswati also referred to a broader five-point charter related to strengthening cow protection, and said the government’s silence reflected “indifference”.
He added that the campaign would be “non-violent and ideological”, stressing that the movement would rely on “scripture and dialogue, not confrontation”.
The march, called the “Gau Pratishtharth Dharmayuddh Shankhnaad Yatra”, will begin from Shri Vidya Math in Varanasi on March 7 at 8.30 am after prayers at the Sankat Mochan temple.
Prior to the march, a “Sankalp Diwas” will be observed on March 6 at Shankaracharya Ghat in Varanasi.
It will culminate in a gathering on March 11 (Sheetala Ashtami) at Kanshiram Smriti Upvan, in Lucknow’s Aashiana, between 2.15 pm to 5 pm. The programme will include rituals and the installation of a ‘gau dhwaja (cow flag)’ and addresses by saints.
With the march passing through multiple districts and involving public mobilisations, sources anticipate the possibility of heightened political and administrative tensions in the run-up to the Lucknow programme.
An official spokesperson of Saraswati said the Lucknow event would be a “final warning” to the administration to meet their demands.
The trigger for the current confrontation started when the seer was allegedly prevented by police from taking a holy dip in Triveni Sangam on Mauni Amavasya on January 18. He had then sat on protest before leaving the Magh Mela without taking a dip in the river.
So far, UP BJP leaders, except Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak, have officially refrained from making any comments on the tussle. The Opposition Congress and Samajwadi Party have expressed their support for the seer.
Public meetings scheduled along the route:
March 7: Jaunpur and Sultanpur; night halt in Rae Bareli
March 8: Meetings in the Rae Bareli region and Unnao; night halt in Unnao
March 9: Meetings in Bangarmau and Baghuli; night halt at Naimisharanya
March 10: Meetings in Sidhauli and Itaunja before entering Lucknow
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