Lucknow: Almost a month after a row between the district administration and Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati during the Magh Mela in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday told the Assembly that not everyone could use the title of ‘Shankaracharya’, and asserted that religious decorum and rule of law must be upheld during all events.
Speaking directly on the matter for the first time without taking any name, Adityanath said, “Not every person can write Shankaracharya before his name. Not everyone can claim to be the ‘acharya’ of a ‘’peeth’ and vitiate the atmosphere at will. Everyone has to follow certain limits.”
The remarks followed a dispute between the fair administration and Saraswati over the use of the title ‘Shankaracharya’ during the Magh Mela in Prayagraj last month, and the circumstances under which he was stopped while heading towards the Sangam for a holy dip on Mauni Amavasya on January 18.
In an apparent reference to the controversy, Adityanath questioned the opposition’s stand and said those speaking of morality should introspect.
“If he was a Shankaracharya, why did you order a lathi charge in Varanasi? Why was an FIR lodged? Now you talk of morality,” the chief minister said, in an apparent attack on the Samajwadi Party for past actions. Defending the administration’s handling of the Magh Mela, Adityanath said when more than 4.5 crore devotees gather at a place, strict crowd management becomes essential to prevent any stampede-like situation.
“At a place where crores of devotees have assembled, the exit gate through which people leave after taking a dip cannot be used for entry. Any such attempt can trigger a stampede and endanger lives,” Adityanath said. A responsible and disciplined individual would never indulge in any conduct that could jeopardise public safety, he added. agencies
Taking a swipe at the opposition, Adityanath said, “If Samajwadi Party members wish to worship someone, they may do so. We are disciplined people and believe in the rule of law.
“We know how to follow the law and how to enforce it. Stop misleading people in the name of such issues.”