Top News

Shankaracharya of Jyotishpeeth, Swami Avimukteshwarananda Saraswati has given a big and frank statement regarding politics and religion. He has made it clear that he has nothing to do with any political party. Refreshing his old memories, he told how he was lathi charged in 2015 during the Samajwadi Party government in Kashi. Shankaracharya said, “At that time, Akhilesh Yadav thought that I was supporting BJP, whereas there were 5 thousand BJP workers standing with me at that time. He beat me with sticks considering me to be from BJP.”

‘We don’t want government money’

Shankaracharya clarified that he has nothing to do with power or any political party. He said that he neither takes any facility from the government nor any government grant. According to him, government money does not have the sanctity that a religious leader should perform. He reminded that even when the proposal of Re 1 Trust had come, he had strongly opposed it as he had always been skeptical about the sanctity of government money.

Sharp questions raised on cow meat and meat export

Swami Avimukteshwarananda emphasized the main issues of his movement—mother cow and voter’s rights. He sarcastically asked whether the government had taken consent from the public before exporting meat? He said, “The leaders take votes from us, but they never tell us that they will use our votes to sell and export animal meat. We do not want to kill even an ant, then how can our leader get crores of animals slaughtered and sold on the basis of our votes? Are we not accomplices of this sin?”

‘Only to do with religion’

Shankaracharya stressed that he is neither a critic of BJP nor a supporter of Congress. They are fighting only those issues which are to religion and faith. He said, “It is a matter of very small-minded people whether this party is good or that. We have nothing to do with parties. Our aim is only to protect our religion and its symbols, and we are out to find the answer to the same.”