In a sharp rebuke amid the escalating controversy at Prayagraj’s Sangam Ghat, renowned spiritual leader Jagadguru Rambhadracharya has dismissed claims of injustice against Swami Avimukteshwaranand Shankaracharya. The monk has been staging a sit-in protest since being barred from a ceremonial Ganga dip on Mauni Amavasya, sparking clashes between his followers and police.
Rambhadracharya, speaking exclusively on the matter, asserted that Avimukteshwaranand brought the trouble upon himself. ‘No injustice was done to him; he committed injustice himself,’ the Jagadguru declared. He emphasized local regulations prohibiting processions to the Ghat, noting that police merely asked the group to proceed on foot—a standard practice he himself follows during dips in the sacred river.
The spat intensified after authorities issued a notice to Avimukteshwaranand, questioning his claim to the Shankaracharya title. Rambhadracharya, who holds the prestigious Jagadguru position, underscored the hierarchy: ‘I am the Jagadguru; he is not even that yet.’
This comes against a backdrop of broader saintly criticism. Several religious figures have accused Avimukteshwaranand of tarnishing the administration and government, potentially aiding anti-Hindu elements. His protests, they argue, could embolden forces hostile to Sanatan Dharma.
The discourse also veered into politics with Rambhadracharya lambasting Congress veteran Digvijaya Singh’s recent remarks. Singh had criticized the RSS for allegedly pushing a Hindu Rashtra agenda, questioning the fate of minorities and claiming ‘Hindu’ is a Persian import, not indigenous. ‘Digvijaya Singh knows nothing about the Shastras,’ Rambhadracharya shot back.
Singh’s comments were part of his MGNREGA advocacy campaign in Madhya Pradesh, where he portrayed India as a land of diversity, rejecting singular religious dominance. Yet, the Jagadguru’s firm stance reaffirms traditional boundaries in spiritual and political debates, urging adherence to rules and authentic scriptural knowledge.
As tensions simmer at the Sangam, Rambhadracharya’s words highlight deepening rifts within Hindu leadership, with implications for religious processions and title legitimacy in modern India.