LUCKNOW: There seems to be no end in sight to the tussle between Magh Mela authorities and Jyotirpeeth Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand, as the administration issued the seer a second notice on Thursday over alleged misconduct on the day of Mauni Amavasya on Sunday.
The notice accuses Avimukteshwaranand of breaking a barrier on a pontoon bridge and forcibly attempting to enter a crowded area with a carriage, allegedly creating a stampede-like situation. It sought to know why the land and facilities allotted to his institution should not be cancelled and why he should not be permanently barred from entering the fair.
The administration warned that if a satisfactory reply was not received from the seer within 24 hours, the land and facilities allotted to his institution would be withdrawn.
Reacting sharply to the second notice, Avimukteshwaranand accused the administration of playing a ‘notice-issuing game.’ Claiming that he was yet to take a holy dip in the Mauni Amavasya, he said the question of performing the Basant Snan did not arise.
He said he would undertake the second ritual only after completing the Mauni Amavasya bath, and demanded that the administration ensure that it is allowed.
The seer, who had been protesting over alleged mistreatment by the Mela administration, added that he had undertaken a ‘Prerna Yatra’ to protect Gau Mata, which he described as his supreme duty.
Meanwhile, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, in a veiled attack on the seer, warned people about those trying to weaken the Sanatan.