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.
Verbal Violence Against Seer is a Sin, Says SP Chief
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 He also alleged that cases against the government were being withdrawn.
Arrogance Erodes Values and Public Respect, Yadav Warns
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. He said voters would respond in the next election by voting against the ruling party.
The controversy follows a dispute during the Magh Mela in Prayagraj between the district administration and Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati. Addressing the Assembly on Friday, Adityanath said that the title of Shankaracharya could not be used by anyone at will and that no one could claim to head a peeth and disturb public order. He said all organisers must maintain religious decorum and abide by the law.
Shankaracharya: No Political Certificate Needed for Religious Title
Meanwhile, Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati also hit back at the chief minister’s remarks. Speaking in Varanasi on Saturday, he said that in Sanatan Dharma the identity of a Shankaracharya does not come from any political certificate and that no government or political party can decide who becomes a Shankaracharya. He said there is no tradition in Sanatan Dharma under which a chief minister or a government appoints a Shankaracharya by issuing certificates.
He alleged that certificates had been issued to Swami Vasudevanand and that the High Court and the Supreme Court had restrained him, repeatedly stating that he should not be referred to as Shankaracharya. The seer also launched a sharp political attack, alleging that both the Samajwadi Party and the BJP had targeted Shankaracharyas in the past and that arrogance had consumed leaders. He drew a parallel with 2015, alleging that the same arrogance that hurt Akhilesh Yadav had now taken over the present dispensation.
Questioning the chief minister’s dual role, the Shankaracharya said teachings associated with Gorakhnath tradition make it clear that one who becomes a yogi should stay away from state power. He said a king may become a yogi, but a yogi does not return to kingship, and asked how someone claiming detachment could continue to hold the post of chief minister.
