Akhilesh Yadav calls remarks against Shankaracharya verbal violence

Lucknow: Samajwadi Party president and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday said the use of derogatory language against the Shankaracharya amounted to verbal violence and was a sin.

In a post on X, Yadav said that attire may change but words reveal a person’s true character.

He said using grossly offensive slurs against a revered religious figure was sinful not only for the speaker but also for those who encouraged such remarks by applauding. He added that when Bharatiya Janata Party legislators step out of the House to face the public, people would hold them accountable on the streets.

Yadav’s remarks came a day after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath spoke in the Assembly on maintaining religious decorum and the rule of law. The chief minister said not everyone could use the title of Shankaracharya and that religious propriety and the law must be upheld at public events. Yadav said the timing and tenor of the statement prompted his sharp response.

Attacking the government, the former chief minister alleged that those who did not disclose accurate figures of deaths during the Maha Kumbh, allowed irregularities in compensation and failed to account for beneficiaries who did not receive relief had no moral right to question anyone’s religious position.

He also alleged that cases against the government were being withdrawn.

Referring to the chief minister’s comment on the rule of law, Yadav said arrogance often replaces values and erodes public respect. He said the remark made on Shankaracharya in the Assembly would remain on record and was condemnable in the strongest terms.

The Samajwadi Party chief further alleged that the BJP had long pursued politics of hatred against certain sections of society and was now attempting to humiliate them even on matters of faith.