Shankaracharya warns politicians: Do not get into religious matters

Bengaluru, NT Bureau: Seer Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand Sarswati of the Jyotir Math in Uttarakhand has defended himself before media persons on his political statements. He added that he would stop making political statements if politicians stopped interfering in Hindu religious matters.

The statement comes in the backdrop of his visit to former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s residence in Mumbai.

The seer had spoken favourably of Thackeray, adding that the “pain of the people won’t subside” until Uddhav becomes CM again.

“When Modi enters the temple and establishes (idols), you show it live. However, when Shankaracharya speaks on religion, you say he shouldn’t. Politicians should stop interfering in religion. If that happens, then I’ll guarantee you that I’ll stop commenting on politics. However, you keep relentlessly interfering in our religion but we should refrain from speaking on our faith,” the Shankaracharya quipped.

“Furthermore, shouldn’t politicians follow religion in their own lives? Shouldn’t I, as a religious authority, not tell people what true Hindutva is? Shouldn’t I make people aware that betrayal is a sin? Shouldn’t I tell them that if you are religious, then you shouldn’t betray people? I didn’t speak on politics but rather religion,” he added.

By betrayal, the seer was referring to Uddhav Thackeray being unseated as the state CM by the BJP by way of a vertical split in the Shiv Sena. In December 2022, Eknath Shinde allied with the BJP with his loyalist MLAs and secured the CM seat for himself.

The Shankaracharya had also famously rejected the invitation to the Ram temple consecration in Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh back in January.