After notice warning he’d be barred, Swami Saraswati warns Prayagraj Magh Mela authority of legal action

The new notice, issued by the mela authority, read: “On 18 January, on the auspicious occasion of Mauni Amavasya, you broke the barrier on Triveni Pontoon Bridge No. 2, reserved for emergency use, and without the permission of the competent authority, you were traveling with the crowd in a carriage along the Sangam Upper Road. Despite repeated announcements by the fair police and administration through loudspeakers and wireless sets that no vehicles should be allowed in the Sangam area, there was a large crowd of bathers at that time, and only pedestrian movement was permitted.”

Alleging that this led to difficulties in crowd management and could have led to stampede, the authority, in its notice, warned that “Therefore, you are hereby notified to please explain withint 24 hours why, due to your actions, the land and facilities provided to your organisation above should not be revoked and you should not be permanently barred from attending the fair.”

It further stated, “Why should the land and facilities being provided to your institution not be cancelled, and why should you not be permanently barred from entering the mela due to this act.”

In his reply, Swami Saraswati pointed out that first of all, he was going in a “palki” (palanquin) carried by the people and not a “chariot” (bagghi), which is pulled by horses.

Asking the Mela authority not to intervene in the matters of the Shankracharya, the team said a detailed legal reply has been sent through Supreme Court lawyer Dr PN Mishra, and added: “Questioning the same is beyond the jurisdiction of an administrative officer like you”.

The team of Swami Saraswati warned the Mela authority of legal action. “If you take any arbitrary, illegal, unconstitutional, malicious or unfair step, we will be compelled to initiate appropriate civil, criminal, and constitutional action against you, your authority and the guilty officials in the competent court by instituting due legal process,” the seer’s reply to the previous notice read.

On the allegation of breaking the barricade, the reply said that the Swami had spoken to the police personnel deployed at the barricade and got it opened.

The seer said the notice and action by the authority was an attempt to “disrupt religious activities” and violated fundamental human rights.

Earlier, the mela administration had also issued a notice to Saraswati, citing a Supreme Court order in a pending civil appeal, which said that until the appeal is decided, no religious leader can be enthroned as the Shankaracharya of Jyotishpeeth.

The notice said it was clear that no religious leader had been enthroned as the Shankaracharya of Jyotishpeeth so far, yet during the Prayagraj Magh Mela 2025–26, Swami Avimukteshwaranand had displayed boards at his camp projecting himself as the Shankaracharya of Jyotishpeeth.