Lucknow: Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday accused the BJP of insulting Shankaracharyas and said the seers must be given full respect, referring to the recent controversy involving Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand and the Magh Mela administration in Prayagraj.
Addressing the media in Lucknow, Akhilesh said the dispute over the Shankaracharya’s holy dip at the Magh Mela was unfortunate and reflected the BJP’s “adharmic” conduct. “Shankaracharya ji should be given full respect. The BJP is committing adharma by insulting him,” he said.
Akhilesh said that at a time when the BJP was promoting capitalism through its policies and pushing a communal agenda, it was important to remember the socialist movement of Janeshwar Mishra. He alleged that the BJP supported big industrialists and large traders, which was widening the gap between the rich and the poor.
“Today farmers are not getting a fair price for their produce. All schemes, laws and programmes are being designed to benefit capitalists. That is why the relevance of the socialist movement has increased even more,” he said, adding that the Samajwadi Party was carrying forward the legacy of Janeshwar Mishra, Mulayam Singh Yadav and other socialist leaders.
Responding to recent remarks made by Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak about Muslims and the Samajwadi Party, Akhilesh used a sharp tone. “If he has eaten baati-chokha, then he should stand like a statue. He should actually roll at people’s feet and apologise because the government in which he is deputy chief minister is repeatedly pulled up,” he said.
The remarks come amid an ongoing controversy involving Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand and the Prayagraj Magh Mela administration. During the recent Magh Mela, a dispute broke out between the seer’s camp and the administration over arrangements related to his scheduled holy dip on Mauni Amavasya. The situation escalated after the Shankaracharya was reportedly stopped by police and asked to return to his camp without performing the ritual bath, leading to protests by his disciples.