Lucknow: With Assembly elections in the state scheduled to be held in 2027, the ongoing spat between Jyotirmath “Shankaracharya” Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath is turning into a matter of concern for the top BJP leadership.
The seer from Uttarakhand, who has a significant following among Hindus, has trained his guns at Yogi since the Magh Mela at Prayagraj, alleging misbehaviour on the part of the district administration.
Saraswati was in a sit-in demonstration since January 18 and refused to take a holy dip with his supporters till action was taken against the authorities. The mela authority said that it did no wrong.
After his 11-day dharna, the holy man returned to his math in Varanasi and issued an ultimatum to Yogi on Friday, to declare “gau mata” as “rajya mata” and take steps to stop the export of “cow meat”.
A sant sammelan would be convened in Lucknow on March 10-11 to take a further call on the subject if the demands are not met by then. The issue related to the Magh Mela is over and would be addressed only during next year’s event, Saraswati said, adding that it is now the CM’s turn to answer to his demands and give “proof of being a Hindu”, as reported by The Indian Express.
“All that issue is over and would be taken up during the next Magh Mela. I am not taking anyone’s apology as it should have been done when I was sitting there on a sit-in for 11 days. Now the time is to answer my questions and demands,” Saraswati was quoted as saying.
“In 40 days, “gau mata” should be declared as “rajya mata” and after that, stop the export of cow meat from the state,” he said, adding, “In 40 days, the chief minister should prove himself to be a Hindu. He should do these things and prove himself…”
In what might bring about some discomfort for the BJP, the seer said: “Instead of Delhi, the sant sammelan would take place in Lucknow because Yogi Adityanath has tried to suppress the voices raised for gau mata.”
The last thing that the BJP would want in UP is a divided Hindu vote. The party is still smarting from the 2024 Parliamentary debacle in the state when its seat share in the so-called Hindu bastion plummeted to 33 from 62 in 2019.
Saraswati was infuriated after authorities in Prayagraj alleged that he and his supporters attempted to “force their way” towards the Triveni Sangam on January 18 and this might have led to a stampede. On Wednesday, the seer left the Magh Mela without performing the ritual.
