Magh Mela row escalates: Yogi warns against conspiracy to weaken Sanatan Dharma; SP-Congress start support campaign for Avimukteshwaranad

While speaking at a pran pratistha ceremony in Haryana, without naming anyone, Adityanath said, “Ek yogi ke liye, sanyasi ke liye, sant ke liye, dharma aur rashtra se badhkar kuch nahi ho sakta. Uski vyaktigat property kuch nahi hoti hai, dharma aur rashtra hi uska swabhiman hai (For a yogi, saint or an ascetic, there is nothing bigger than religion and the country. He does not have any personal property; his religion and country are his pride)”.

“Aise kayi kalnemi honge jo dharma ki aadh mein sanatan dharma ko kamzor karne ki sazish rach rahe honge. Humein unse sawadhan hona hoga, satarka rehna hoga (There would be many such demons, who under the pretext of religion are conspiring to weaken Sanatan Dharma. We need to be watchful and alert against such people)”.

Meanwhile, the matter has taken a political turn with the Congress and Samajwadi Party coming out in support of Swami Avimukteshwaranand.

While SP chief Akhilesh Yadav has demanded an apology from the authorities for discriminating against saints, Congress leader Ajay Rai organised a puja in Varanasi in support of Avimukteshwaranand.

‘Beyond the jurisdiction of an administrative officer like you’

The ongoing row at Magh Mela between Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati and the Prayagraj administration escalated further with Avimukteshwaranand’s lawyers warning the Mela Authority of contempt of court in its reply.

On Tuesday, the Magha Mela Authority issued a notice to the Swami, asking him to explain why he is using the “Shankaracharya” title, citing a 2022 Supreme Court order. The Authority asked the seer to comply within 24 hours.

The seer’s lawyers referred to another notice by the Mela Authority, warning Avimukteshwaranand of being barred from further melas in Prayagraj.

“On January 18, 2026, 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 travelled with a crowd in a carriage along the Sangam Upper Road. Despite repeated announcements by the 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,” the Authority said in that notice.

Alleging that this led to difficulties in crowd management and could have led to a stampede, the Authority in its notice said, “Therefore, you are hereby notified to please explain within 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.”

In reply to this notice, Avimukteshwaranad pointed out he was going in a “palki” being carried by people and not a “chariot”, and asked the Mela authority not to intervene in the matters of the Shanakaracharya. It also said they have sent a detailed legal reply through a team of Supreme Court lawyers led by Dr P N Mishra.

“Questioning the same is beyond the jurisdiction of an administrative officer like you. 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,” Avimukteshwaranad said in the reply to the Authority.

He also called the Authority’s notice and action an attempt to “disrupt religious activities” and to violate fundamental human rights.