Swami Avimukteshwaranand News: Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand asked whether any saint or Sanatani needs to seek permission to bathe in the Ganges. A child would seek permission to meet his mother, the Ganga.

Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwarananda of Jyotish Peeth, who has been on a sit-in protest regarding the incident that occurred on Mauni Amavasya at the Magh Mela in Prayagraj, spoke about the entire matter in a press conference on Monday (January 19, 2026). Regarding the controversy surrounding Mauni Amavasya, Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwarananda Saraswati said in the press conference that most people are unable to understand why this happened. How could the fair administration, under the government of a saint or a sadhu, behave so rudely with children and saints?

Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati said that the first allegation is that the barricades were broken, so the CCTV footage should be made public. We left our camp for the bath with the local police administration, and the police said they were assigned to help us bathe. They accompanied us from the ashram to the Sangam riverbank, where they negotiated with the police who had set up the barricades and had them cleared. If our people were being insolent, why didn't anyone report them? We have always followed the rules and will continue to do so in the future.

He asked, "Now, will any saint or Sanatani have to seek permission to bathe in the Ganga? There's no need for permission. Does a child seek permission to meet their mother, the Ganga? People come here to atone for their sins and gain virtue, but Shankaracharya doesn't have such an intention. Millions and billions of people come here to witness our dip. We inform our movements so there's no chaos. All the necessary information from our camp has been provided; the entire program is being provided three days in advance."

Shankaracharya's palanquin still goes to our Badrinath - Shankaracharya

Shankaracharya asked, "Are they considering this information as permission? We won't bathe in the Ganga without permission." He added, "Look at the history of the entire Magh Mela and see, Shankaracharya has always gone to bathe in a palanquin. Shankaracharya's palanquin still goes to Badrinath, and even when the doors are closed, it comes down. It has been our tradition to go to the Kumbh Mela or Magh Mela in a palanquin; we have been going ourselves for the past two Magh Melas."

He said that they went to Sangam performing stunts for some saint, we have no objection to them, have there become two types of saints. One saint who flatters and the other who will not flatter. This fair administration should be changed, Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati has made a big allegation that we would have died yesterday. We cannot forget what we saw from the palanquin from 9.47 am to 5 pm. After taking us down from the palanquin, their soldiers would have pushed us and created a stampede and we would have been killed. The stampede in Kumbh Mela happened because the officers of this fair administration started chasing away the sleeping people and started hitting them with sticks.

Shankaracharya said that stampedes are being instigated at the fair. First, we were stopped, then our Dandi Sanyasi was taken away and beaten. He was dragged by his hair and beaten with shoes. The old man was beaten with shoes. He said that even Ravana would have shown mercy, but our saint from Nepal was held by his hair and beaten. Shankaracharya showed a blood-stained scarf of a boy and explained how the fight took place. He said that the administration wants to portray the Third Battle of Panipat in 1762. In that battle, Vishwas Rao, seeing his nephew surrounded, jumped from the elephant. The army thought their commander was killed, and because of this, Ahmad Shah Abdali won the war. In the same way, these people wanted to pull me out of the palanquin and cause such an incident.

For the past two years, I have been travelling in a palanquin through this route – Swami Avimukteshwarananda

He said that if he had been out of public view, his enemies would have succeeded in their conspiracy. He said that he is not fond of palanquins. When the Prime Minister visits, he is made to stand in a high vehicle so that the public is satisfied by seeing him from a distance. He said that he has been going on foot to every saint during this entire Magh Mela for cow protection. Three years ago, when Shankaracharya became the head of the organization, he used to go like this too. When he went on foot normally, there would be chaos and commotion among the people. But for the last two years, he has been going on this route in a palanquin.

He went to Magh Mela in a palanquin just like that, then who complained that there was any chaos or stampede. If someone tries to tarnish our tradition, then this will not be tolerated. We are not sitting here willingly, the administration took our people aside and then the soldiers in plain clothes with pistols on their waists took us away. In the last 25 years since I became a Sanyasi, I have never been alone, yesterday was the first occasion when I was not with my people. We were taken near the fort, people came to see us, we did not tell anyone that they were misbehaving. If we had done so, the public could have been angry, the palanquin has been kept in the same manner as they left us.

We are not sitting on any fast or protest - Swami Avimukteshwarananda

He said that we remained sitting till 1 am till the new moon day, we are not sitting on any fast or protest. We will remain like this till Maghi Purnima in the Magh Mela and then will come to the Magh Mela but will enter the camp only when the administration allows us to take a bath in the Ganga. Our stand is that we will enter our camp only when the bathing protocol is not decided for all the four Shankaracharyas and Vaishnavacharyas. Yesterday we had immediately thought of going back but we got a call from our senior guru brother Shankaracharya Swami Sadanand Saraswati of Dwarka Peeth, he said that we should not leave the fair like this. The government wants it, the religious event will be commercialized.

Shankaracharya said that on March 11th, a major saints' conference will be held in Delhi for cow protection, where the saints will demonstrate their strength. This is because we advocate for cow protection. While BJP governments are accepting donations from those who slaughter cows, they are unable to protect cows.

Hindus are cowards who do not protest against the killing of cows: Shankaracharya

He said that Yogi is a man who destroys temples. We visited every street of Kashi and went out to save temples for 40 days. In those 40 days, not more than 100 Hindus ever joined us. A bulldozer was removing encroachments near Gyanvapi at night. Three bricks of Gyanvapi fell during the demolition, and 10,000 Muslims gathered. Blessed are the Muslims who come out to protect their religion. Hindus are cowards who refuse to protest against the slaughter of cows.

When the Chief Minister can lie, then why shouldn't this Commissioner lie?

Showing a picture of Prayagraj's Divisional Commissioner, Soumya Agarwal, Shankaracharya said, "If she had wanted, she could have handled the situation yesterday. She has given false and misleading information to the media. Why didn't she lie? If the Chief Minister can lie, why shouldn't this Commissioner lie?" Shankaracharya showed a picture of Home Secretary, IPS Mohit Gupta. He said, "He himself was in plain clothes, he looked the most handsome. I saw him, this Home Secretary was beating the Dandi children with his own hands. Yesterday too, someone was watching all this."

The police commissioner of Prayagraj is very stubborn and wicked.

Showing a picture of Mohit Gupta, he asked, "Is he a police officer or a thug?" Showing a picture of Prayagraj Police Commissioner Joginder Kumar, he said, "He is very stubborn and wicked. He was the one who said he was very angry and would calm him down right now." He said, "The Police Commissioner stopped our vehicle in the middle of the road. I asked him to move it to the side, but he said, 'Police officers don't have the shoulders for this,' so he sent us on the shoulders of the police."

The DM stated false and untrue statements in the press.

Showing a picture of DM Manish Kumar Verma, he said that the DM is a responsible position and he was there himself. Should he have allowed such a situation to arise? If you were told from above, then it's fine if you're obedient. The DM told false and untrue things to the press. Showing a picture of a Chief Minister, he said, "His name is Vineet Singh. He's the villain in the movie; he was the one who took everyone inside and was beating and abusing them. He kicked them, he snatched our Brahmachari's stick and hit them."

The inspector, sub-inspector and constable below were saddened by yesterday's incident - Shankaracharya

CO Vineet Singh said, "We are disciples of the Shankaracharya of Puri. He is trying to create a rift between us and the Shankaracharya of Puri. Medical reports for all the injured are ready. This was being handled by senior officers; the lower-ranking officers, including inspectors and constables, were saddened by yesterday's incident. The administration detained a total of 35 people; 12 have undergone medical examination, and three are still hospitalized. Our monastery's legal cell will decide what to do next. A petition will likely be filed in the High Court. If we are committing a crime, we have the right to take action."

He said, "When my people were being arrested, why didn't they arrest me? Why wasn't any action taken? Everything was happening under my leadership. People with us endured injustice for 5-7 hours, and the CO, Vineet Singh, who arrived, told them to get down. What chaos occurred when he stayed there for 3 hours?"

Whether we are Shankaracharya or not will not be decided by the Prime Minister or Chief Minister of the country.

Regarding the controversy surrounding his appointment as Shankaracharya of Jyotish Peetha, Swami Avimukteshwarananda Saraswati said, "Whether we are Shankaracharyas or not is not decided by the Prime Minister, President, or Chief Minister of the country. I have received the approval of two Shankaracharyas, Dwarka Peetha and Sringeri Math, and the tacit approval of the third Shankaracharya, the Shankaracharya of Govardhan Peetha, Puri." He said, "We gave the administration ample opportunity to correct our mistake and offer to bathe if they came, but no one from the administration came. If the administration had come and made us bathe on Mauni Amavasya, nothing would have happened; we would not have taken this stand."

He will remain sitting on the palanquin like this till Maghi Purnima.

For now, Swami Avimukteshwarananda Saraswati has stated that he will remain seated on the palanquin until Maghi Purnima. He says his protest will continue until the administration corrects its mistake.

PC:ABPNews