LUCKNOW: In a major crackdown, the Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad (ABAP), headed by Acharya Narendra Giri, has stripped Achrya Vairagyanand Giri of his title of Mahamandaleshwar and the Niranjani Akhara, one of the 13 prominent saint orders of Hindus, expelled him with immediate effect for performing ‘mirchi yagna’ to ensure victory of Congress leader Digvijay Singh in Bhopal during 2019 Lok
Sabha elections.
The action against the ‘mahamandaleshwar’ came in response to a number of videos and audio clips doing rounds on social media wherein he is seen claiming during the elections that he would perform ‘mirchi yagna’ with five and a half quintal chilli to ensure Digvijay Singh’s victory in Bhopal. The Congress stalwart and former MP CM was pitted against BJP’s Sadhvi Pragya in a battle of nerves in MP state capital. The Sadhvi emerged victorious with over 3.5 lakh votes in Bhopal.
The Maharashtra-based seer Vairagyanand Giri had recently visited Bhopal during the election to perform a yagna to ensure Singh’s win. He had interacted with media persons claiming that he would take ‘live samadhi’ if Singh lost despite his yagna. The acharya came in for strong criticism from the seers and saints across the country for performing the ritual in Bhopal using five quintals of red chillies. As his Yagna failed to fetch desired results, the seer is facing a lot of trolling on social media as ‘fraud baba.
Disclaiming the ‘mirchi yagna’ saying no such ritual was mentioned in Hindu mythology and religious scriptures, Prayagraj based ABAP chief Acharya Narendra Giri said that the seer was warned by the Akhara Parishad earlier also to not indulge in such stupidity, but since he did not pay heed to the advice and deviated from righteous path, the akhara has shown him the door. Acharya Narednra Giri is also an office-bearer of Niranjani akhara.
“Since the seer defied the orders of the akhara and brought bad name for the saint community, we have expelled him from the akhara and taken back the ‘Mahamandaleshwar’ title conferred on him,” said Giri.
He further informed that ABAP will take further strict action against Vairagyanand once the administrative body of Niranajani akhara asks the parishad in writing.
The saints and seers of Ayodhya and Mahant Hari Giri of Juna Akhara condemned the expelled seer calling him a blot on ‘sanyasi samaj’ (saint community).