Not Everyone Can Claim ‘Shankaracharya’: Yogi Adityanath Defends Rule of Law as Seer Pushes Back

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday told the Assembly that not everyone can claim the title “Shankaracharya” , asserting that religious decorum and the rule of law must be upheld during public events. Without naming anyone, the Chief Minister said no individual could vitiate the atmosphere at will and defended the administration’s actions, particularly during mass religious gatherings involving crores of devotees.

His remarks followed a controversy at the Magh Mela in Prayagraj , where Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati was stopped by mela authorities while heading towards the Sangam for a ceremonial holy dip on Mauni Amavasya, January 18 . Officials maintained that strict crowd-control measures were in place on the peak bathing day and that entry through exit routes could have triggered stampede-like situations , endangering lives. The administration argued that no exceptions were possible once movement protocols were sealed.

The incident led to a sit-in protest by the seer, who later left the mela without taking the holy dip , alleging disrespect and mistreatment . The episode quickly assumed political overtones , with opposition parties questioning the government’s handling of the matter, even as the ruling dispensation stood by the enforcement of safety norms .

A day after the Chief Minister’s Assembly remarks, Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati issued a veiled retort in Varanasi , saying that someone who speaks for Sanatana Dharma was being told he was not a Shankaracharya . He argued that, in the spirit of Sanatana Dharma , a Shankaracharya is defined by commitment to truth and the protection of dharma , rather than by selective recognition or proximity to power.

While the exchange has sharpened religious and political sensitivities , the government’s position remains that public safety and administrative neutrality cannot be compromised, even at the most sacred of gatherings .