Prayagraj’s Magh Mela turned contentious as Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati locked horns with authorities at Sangam Ghat, igniting debates on ego, tradition, and governance in Hindu spiritual spaces. The standoff has prompted reactions from revered figures like Ujjain’s Swami Jitendra Saraswati and Varanasi’s Mahamandaleshwar Gyan Das Maharaj, highlighting deepening rifts.
Gyan Das Maharaj decried the administration’s aggressive response toward young devotees as unacceptable, warning it fosters splits in Hindu unity. ‘This is condemnable; action against the guilty is essential to mend our divided society,’ he stated, advocating for measures to prevent such divisive incidents in Sanatan Dharma.
From Varanasi, Swami Jitendra Saraswati offered a historical perspective, citing prior aggressions by bathuk groups against police. He justified security barricades during shahi snan, designed to maintain a clear 2-km perimeter for raths and restrict access to the snan zone.
In a provocative query, he challenged, ‘Why balk at a 50-meter walk? Such pride before Ganga Maa is unbecoming.’ Casting doubt on Avimukteshwaranand’s lineage to Shankaracharya, he pointed to the absence of any nominated successor post-Swaroopanand’s passing and court orders banning promotional banners. Swami Jitendra alleged a political plot, noting heavy presence of Congress and SP affiliates, urging the community to rise above such machinations for the sake of dharma.