UP BJP in a bind over Swami Saraswati row as SP, Congress rake up ‘insult to Sanatan Dharma’

On his part, Avimukteshwaranand has remained firm in his protest, refusing to take a holy dip with his supporters until action is taken against the officials who “misbehaved” with him and prevented him from entering the Triveni Sangam on January 18, despite requests from some BJP leaders to resolve the issue. Since then, he has been without food or water as he has been staging a sit-in outside his camp in Prayagraj.

In the course of his protest so far, the Prayagraj Mela Authority issued notices to Avimukteshwaranand claiming he and his supporters attempted to “force their way” towards the Triveni Sangam on January 18 which might have led to a stampede, asking why the Swami should not be barred from future melas and seeking his response. But in another notice, the fair officials escalated the row by citing a 2022 Supreme Court order to question his use of the title “Shankaracharya”.

In 2022, Avimukteshwaranand’s position as Shankaracharya had come under question after a religious leader claimed that his appointment “had not been endorsed”. The Supreme Court had stayed his coronation as the Shankaracharya of the Jyotirmath, with the matter remaining sub-judice.

In response to the Mela Authority’s notices, Avimukteshwaranad’s lawyers not only refuted the charges, but also threatened legal action against the officials. But as the row has continued, the seer has been making statements attacking UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for his administration’s alleged biased action.

“Na prashasan, na UP ka mukhyamantri, na desh ka rashtrapati tay karega kaun hai Shankaracharya (Neither the administration, nor the UP CM, nor even the President has the authority to decide who is a Shankaracharya),” Avimukteshwaranad said.

Seeing an opportunity in the row, the SP has launched a campaign to support Avimukteshwaranand while attacking the BJP government for “working against Sanatan Dharma”.

“If an officer asks a Shankaracharya for his certificate then there cannot be a bigger disrespect to Sanatan Dharma… We would stand against anyone who disrespects sadhus and saints, be it a government or an individual,” said SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, alleging that “if anyone is breaking the traditions of Sanatan Dharma, it is the BJP”.

On its official social media handles too, the SP has been targeting the BJP government, saying that the ruling party will be held responsible if Avimukteshwaranand’s health deteriorates.

The Congress has also extended its support to Swami. On Wednesday, state party chief Ajay Rai visited him. “All of Kashi’s people are with you. We promise that all Sanatanis are with you today,” said Rai, while alleging that the BJP government has “insulted” the Sanatan Dharma.

While there has been no official response from the BJP, the party’s Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya has urged Avimukteshwaranand to take a holy dip in Prayagraj while promising action against those who may have disrespected him. “I pray at the feet of Lord Shankaracharya that he ends whatever protest is ongoing and concludes his protest after taking a dip in the Sangam,” Maurya said Thursday.

Warning of action against guilty officers, Maurya said, “We will inquire into who has shown him disrespect. It has not been our motive to show disrespect to any saint, acharya or Shankaracharya. If anyone has done it, we will inquire and take action.”

However, CM Adityanath seemed to have struck a different note. While speaking at an event in Haryana Thursday, without naming anyone, Adityanath said, “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).”

It’s not the first time Avimukteshwaranand has found himself at the centre of a controversy. He has had fraught relations with the BJP. Last year, following the deadly stampede at the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, Avimukteshwaranand had blamed the Adityanath government for the incident.

In January 2024, ahead of the consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Avimukteshwaranand not only declined to attend the ceremony, but also objected to the consecration taking place for an “under-construction temple” then.

A year earlier, he had also alleged that 228 kg of gold was missing from the Kedarnath Temple in Uttarakhand, referring to it as a “scam”.