Two Shankaracharyas—Puri Shankaracharya Swami Adhokshjananda Tirtha and Dwarka Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopananda Saraswati—have come out openly against Narendra Modi and decided to work for his defeat in Varanasi as they believe he is a “sinner” in the 2002 Gujarat riots.
Puri Shankaracharya on Thursday said he will go to Varanasi and campaign against the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate for the 12 May elections. “I will go to Varanasi and expose him. Those who divide people to come to power should be exposed.”
He said Modi has committed “sins” and no justice-loving person can ever “like” him.
Narendra Modi is pitted against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal and Congress candidate Ajai Rai in the holy city.
The Puri Shankaracharya said he had himself gone to Gujarat and witnessed the situation after the 2002 riots. He charged Rashtriya Swayamsevak Samiti (RSS) with using religion to “mislead” the people. He said it should come to the fore as a political organization rather than a social-cultural body.
The Puri Shankaracharya said Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) leaders were already issuing statements which were creating tension in the country. He said he would not campaign for any particular party but just wanted that secular parties should win.
Dwarka Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand is also opposed to Modi and will be deputing his close associate Swami Avi Mukteswaranand to Varanasi to campaign against Modi, people close to him said.
They said Dwarka Shankaracharya cannot travel to Varanasi because of his poor health. He had recently protested against the “Har Har Modi” slogan, saying it amounted to “worship” of a man and “god will stop Modi” if it was not stopped.
Sensing a religious controversy, Narendra Modi had immediately asked his supporters to refrain from raising such slogans. – Live Mint, 1 May 2014
Dwarka Shankaracharya not in anti-Modi camp, says disciple Swami Avimukteshwaranand – TNN
VARANASI: A prominent disciple of Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati, Shankaracharya of Jyotish and Sharda-Dwarka peeths, on Friday said the seer’s name was dragged in the anti-Narendra Modi campaign in Varanasi under a conspiracy and legal action could be taken against those behind it.
A section of the media has claimed two Shankaracharyas — Swami Adhokshjanand Tirath and Swami Swaroopanand — have come out openly against the BJP PM pick and decided to work for his defeat in Varanasi as they believe he sinned during the 2002 Gujarat riots.
“It is a conspiracy to malign the revered seat of Shankaracharya,” said Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati, the chief disciple and representative of Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati.
“The seer had only objected to the slogan of ‘Har Har Modi’ after which BJP separated itself from the controversy and Modi had also asked his followers not to raise such slogan that hurt religious sentiments of the people,” he said.
“Objecting to the slogan ‘Har Har Modi’ does not mean that Shankaracharya will campaign against Modi. He is above politics and objecting to the ‘Har Har Modi’ slogan was his duty to the Sanatan dharma,” said Avimukteshwanand.
“Moreover, it’s objectionable to associate the seer’s name with self-proclaimed Puri Shankaracharya Swami Adhokshjanand Tirth, against whom there is an order of the Odisha High Court that he would be arrested if he goes in a periphery of 500 metres of Puri math,” he said.
“Swami Swaroopanand, who is presently at Paramhanshi Ganga Ashram in Madhya Pradesh, has no programme to visit Varanasi in near future,” he said. “The seer is not a political person nor has he any political interest.”
Meanwhile, head of the famous Kabir Mutt Sant Vivekdas Acharya said, “Modi does not reflect the composite culture of this temple town. His contesting election from this sacred place may vitiate its centuries old unity between Hindus and Muslims. It is unfortunate for the people of Varanasi that Modi is contesting from here as he (Modi) is divisive.”
Terming Varanasi a confluence of various religious beliefs and symbol of India’s core values, the Acharya accused Modi and BJP of trying to exploit electoral gain by taking a narrow view of the city that it was a nerve centre of Hindu tradition.
He said the MP Murli Manohar Joshi did not do any work for the city during the last five years. “If one of BJP’s tallest leaders did nothing for the city, then how can one expect Modi to do something.” – Times of India, 3 May 2014
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BHARATA BHARATI 