Lucknow: The ongoing standoff between Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath escalated on Friday after the seer issued a 40-day ultimatum to the state government over cow protection, directly questioning the Chief Minister’s commitment to Sanatan Dharma.
The Shankaracharya demanded that the cow be declared Rajyamata and that a complete ban be imposed on beef exports from Uttar Pradesh. He warned that if the demands are not met by March 10, saints from across the country would gather in Lucknow on March 11 to launch a large-scale protest against the government.
In unusually sharp remarks aimed at Yogi Adityanath, the Shankaracharya said that merely wearing saffron did not make someone a saint if cow slaughter continued under his administration. Drawing a parallel with Kalnemi, a demon from Hindu mythology who disguised himself as a sage, he suggested that the Chief Minister’s religious image stood in contrast to the reality on the ground.
“The attire is of a sage, but cow slaughter is happening. Kalnemi used to appear as a sage while killing Brahmins, humans and cows. Now you tell me who Kalnemi is,” he said while addressing the media.
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The fresh confrontation is the latest in a series of clashes between the Shankaracharya and the Yogi Adityanath government. In 2024 and 2025, the seer had pressed both the state and Union governments to declare the cow as Rashtram ata and had announced a nationwide campaign to protect cows. He has consistently questioned the Bharatiya Janata Party’s claim of being pro-Hindu, arguing that cow slaughter and beef exports continue despite repeated assurances.
Political observers see the renewed offensive as an attempt to corner Yogi Adityanath in an election year and to challenge the government’s narrative of strong adherence to Sanatan values.
The Shankaracharya also accused the state administration and police of targeting him unfairly, alleging that officials had earlier demanded proof of his status as Shankaracharya despite documentation having been submitted. He said the onus was now on the Yogi government to prove its commitment to Sanatan Dharma within the next 40 days.
Warning of escalation, he said that failure to act would prompt him to lead saints and religious leaders to Lucknow to openly oppose the government. He accused the administration of using force against Sanatani Hindus and demanded an end to what he described as selective enforcement.
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Citing data, the Shankaracharya claimed that nearly 40 percent of the country’s beef exports originate from Uttar Pradesh. He alleged that the continuation of exports was driven by political considerations and called it a moral wrongdoing. He also criticised attempts by officials to placate him through ceremonial gestures, including floral offerings during a ritual bath, which he said he had refused.
The sharp exchange has underscored growing friction between sections of the saint community and the Yogi Adityanath government over religious issues, enforcement actions and the broader question of cow protection in the state.
