Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Jan 27: The row between Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati of Jyotirmath in Uttarakhand and the Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath over the seer allegedly “prevented” from taking a holy dip in Sangam in Prayagraj on the “Mauni Amavasya” day on January 18 escalated on Tuesday with a bureaucrat resigning in support of the Yogi and a senior BJP leader Uma Bharti slamming the UP administration for questioning the Shankaracharya’s status.
The controversy began earlier this month when the Shankaracharya and his supporters alleged that they were stopped from taking a holy dip at the Sangam in Prayagraj on the “Mauni Amavasya” day on n during the Magh Mela and also accused the administration of ill-treating some of his followers. The administration, however, claimed that they stopped his chariot procession accompanied by about 200 to 300 followers to prevent a possible stampede in the crowded area and asked him to proceed on foot like other devotees.
The Shankaracharya termed this an “insult” and angry over the alleged mistreatment he along with his supporters have been sitting on a dharna on the banks of the Sangam since Mauni Amavasya and refused to take the holy dip even on the Basant Panchami.
The situation devolved into a sharp exchange of words between him and Yogi Adityanath. The chief minister, without naming the Shankaracharya, warned people to be cautious of ‘Kalanemi’, referring to a demon from the Ramayana who disguised himself as a saint to trick Lord Hanuman.
Hitting back, the Shankaracharya said Yogi Adityanath was now a politician and should leave matters of religion to seers like him. “A politician who is the chief minister doesn’t talk about education, health, law and order, or the state’s prosperity. He talks about Kalanemi and religion and irreligion. How appropriate is this? The chief minister should discuss the prosperity of his state. The issue of religion should be left to religious leaders,” he said.
Swami Avimukteshwarananda also hit out at Yogi Adityanath, stating that he is not worthy of being called a Hindu. “We call him Akbar and Aurangzeb. This is a man who supports demolishing temples,” he told media persons.
The controversy refuses to die as the Magh Mela Authority has also issued a notice questioning Swami Avimukteshwarananda’s continued use of the title Shankaracharya. It also sought an explanation on why he uses the title despite the 2022 Supreme Court stay on his coronation.
After the prolonged cold war with neither side prepared to budge and the Shankaracharya refusing to take a holy dip till the administration apologised, the veteran BJP leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Uma Bharti on Tuesday affirmed that demanding proof from Swami Avimukteshwaranand regarding his Shankaracharya title was a violation of propriety while quickly clarifying that she was not criticising the Yogi.
In an X post, Bharti stated that the right to demand such proofs lies only with the Shankaracharya or the scholarly council. “Don’t harbour illusions against Yogi; my statement is not against Yogi ji. I hold feelings of respect, affection, and goodwill toward him. However, I stand firm on this: the administration must maintain strict control over law and order, but demanding proof of someone’s status as Shankaracharya is a violation of propriety; only the Shankaracharya or the scholarly council can do that,” she posted on X.
In a separate post, Bharti urged for a positive resolution between Swami Avimukteshwaranand Ji Maharaj and the Uttar Pradesh government. “I believe that a positive resolution will emerge between Swami Avimukteshwaranand Ji Maharaj and the Uttar Pradesh government, but the administrative authorities demanding proof of his status as Shankaracharya–this is a violation by the administration of its own limits and authority; this right belongs solely to the Shankaracharyas and the council of scholars,” the post read.
The Shankaracharya also waded into the controversy over the new rules notified by the University Grants Commission on setting up special committees, helplines and monitoring teams to handle complaints, particularly from SC, ST and OBC students. General category students and several politicians have claimed that the framework would lead to discrimination against them.
Criticising the move, the Shankaracharya said, “No caste is inherently unjust; it is individuals who act unjustly. Every caste has both good and bad people. An individual may commit injustice, but no caste as a whole can be labelled just or unjust. By pitching one caste against another, you are taking a misguided step. This could cause great harm to Hinduism. Therefore, this law should be immediately repealed.”
On Tuesday, Ayodhya GST Commissioner Prashant Kumar Singh resigned, saying he could not tolerate “the insult” to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, PM Modi and others. “I have resigned in support of the government, the chief minister, Prime Minister, Home minister, the Constitution and democracy, and in accordance with the rules for government employees. I have been pained by Avimukteshwaranand’s unrestrained comments, which are aimed at dividing society,” Singh said.
Alleging that personal remarks were made against the chief minister, he continued, “This government is my ‘annadata‘ (food provider). I am indebted to it (‘maine iska namak khaya hai‘). It is not my duty to keep drawing salary like a robot. Yogi Adityanath is a democratically elected chief minister and I cannot tolerate this insult.” The bureaucrat said he was hurt by the politics being done over the UGC issue and will start doing social work after his resignation is accepted.
The issue also caused some differences between Yogi and his deputy Keshav Prasad Maurya. Conveying a message of restraint and respect, Maurya referred to the Shankaracharya as “bhagwan Shankaracharya” and said that disrespect to any revered saint, acharya or Shankaracharya was completely unacceptable.
Responding to media queries, Maurya said if any instance of disrespect or insult comes to light, an inquiry would be conducted, and action would be taken against those found guilty. “We bow at the feet of the Shankaracharya and request him to take the holy dip. The matter should end here. Whoever has done anything (wrong), an enquiry will be carried out. Any revered saint, acharya or Shankaracharya should not be disrespected. If anyone has done it, then action will be taken after an enquiry. First, I pay obeisance at the feet of revered Shankaracharya ji and request him to end his protest and take the holy dip.”
Before Maurya, Uttar Pradesh BJP leader Sunil Bhalara had also stated that insulting the Shankaracharya was akin to insulting the Sanatan Dharma. “In Prayagraj, officers with a demonic mindset humiliated Sanatan by grabbing the shikha of Shankaracharya’s disciples. I want to tell CM Yogi Adityanath to take action against such officers,” he said.
The Uttar Pradesh BJP is also caught in a bind. “The statements made by Yogi ji and Keshav Maurya ji have created a sense of confusion among party leaders as to how to deal with the issue. It is widely known that the two leaders belong to different camps, but this is the first time they have openly clashed on an issue. The state unit seems to be divided once again into two factions,” said a senior party leader.
Even as the Shankaracharya received support from Maurya, several saints as well as the All India Akhara Parishad, backed Yogi Adityanath, stating that there is no shahi snan during the Magh Mela; therefore, Avimukteshwarananda should not have insisted on performing one.
So far, the BJP has not officially reacted on the matter. The Opposition Samajwadi Party has accused the Uttar Pradesh government of targeting the seer and politicising sacred rituals. The Shankaracharya and his followers have claimed that the UP government’s action is motivated because it has come following Swami Avimukteshwarananda’s criticism of the state government and the chief minister.
Swami Avimukteshwarananda has also received support from the Congress which has claimed that the Yogi Adityanath government targeted the Hindu seer as he had, on several occasions, criticised decisions of the BJP—including the consecration ceremony of a “half-built” Ram Temple in Ayodhya, mismanagement of the Kumbh Mela, and bodies found floating in the Ganga during the Covid-19 pandemic.