Varanasi, Jan 29 (IANS) A day after ending his sit-in protest and leaving the Magh Mela in Prayagraj, Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati on Thursday continued to voice strong criticism over the circumstances that led to his exit and reiterated his objections to what he termed actions against Sanatan Dharam.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Shankaracharya had said that he was leaving the Magh Mela grounds with a “heavy heart”, bringing an end to his sit-in protest outside the Shankaracharya camp, which had been ongoing since January 18.

The protest was over allegations that he and his followers were “prevented” from taking a holy dip at the Sangam.

He also targeted sadhus and seers who questioned his decision to leave the Mela and accused them of siding with the government instead of standing with followers of Sanatan Dharma. He claimed that those opposing him were “dhongi (fraudsters)”.

Speaking to reporters, Swami Avimukteshwaranand said, “The lathis used in Prayagraj were used against those who enrolled in the Gurukul to understand Sanatan. Against sanyasis, brahmacharis, sadhvis, sants, and elders. All these are part of Sanatan Dharam. If a sadhu feels no pain after seeing the assault on disciples, then that person is not a sant but a dhongi (fraudster) — someone who has disguised themselves as a seer and infiltrated the community.”

The Shankaracharya reiterated his allegation that his disciples were “physically assaulted” by security personnel when they were proceeding towards the Sangam Nose for the Mauni Amavasya ‘snan’. He questioned why no action had been taken against the officers allegedly involved in the incident.

“The point is, the government has been labelled ‘anti-Brahmin’ earlier, too; consider this incident as a certificate for this very tag. After this incident, the government took no action against any officer. That confirms that they do not intend to spare even Brahmins or even small Brahmin children,” he said.

Swami Avimukteshwaranand further stated that an apology could have been offered at the appropriate time, but alleged that the opportunity was missed.

“Forgiveness can be asked for at any time. But the opportunity was right there. Now, the Magh Mela is about to conclude as well. We have already left from there. The ‘asan’ has already been uprooted once,” he added.

He also said that he is opposed to the new University Grants Commission regulations, describing them as a “major threat to Sanatan Dharam.”

“The UGC regulation has been brought in precisely so that the government’s shortcomings are not discussed. The issue is that a regulation like the UGC is a major threat to Sanatan Dharam. Sanatan Dharam has castes, but castes do not exist so that people fight among themselves, but so that everyone’s livelihood remains traditionally secure. It is a tradition and a practice created by our elders,” he told reporters.

Demanding that the regulations be rolled back, he said, “We are opposing this. We are saying this is not right. This is a law that harms Sanatan Dharam and should be withdrawn immediately.”

–IANS

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