Lucknow: Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday met Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand in Lucknow and said he had come to seek blessings and guidance from a “true saint”.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Yadav said that meeting genuine saints would eventually expose those he described as “fake saints”.
“We came here to seek blessings. When people meet real saints, the influence of fake saints will come to an end,” he said.
During the interaction, Yadav also launched a sharp attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party, alleging that the party opposes every good initiative. Referring to policies during the Samajwadi Party government, he said his government had set up dairy infrastructure to benefit poor families and ensure proper care of cows.
“When our government was in power, we established dairy facilities so that poor people could benefit and cows could be properly taken care of. The first cow milk plant was set up during the Samajwadi Party government but it was later shut down by the BJP government,” he said. He added that the party had worked earlier for the welfare of cows and would continue to take such decisions in the future.
Yadav met the Shankaracharya for about an hour and said he had come to seek blessings as well as knowledge. “It is fortunate to have the opportunity to see and interact with a saint whose mere remembrance brings blessings. Respecting a true saint is respecting Sanatan,” he said.