LUCKNOW: At the Prayagraj Magh Mela, a controversy erupted after Jyotirpeeth Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati started a sit-in protest against alleged mistreatment at the hands of Mela police authorities on Mauni Amavasya on Sunday.
The seer continued to stage the protest on Monday as well, seeking an apology from the police administration.
Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand staged the sit-in near Sangam Vapsi Marg to protest against the police action of stopping his palki and his disciples from heading towards Sangam for Snan.
The police had stopped the procession as the VIP snan was not permitted on the day. The disciples of Shankaracharya demanded that the mela officials escort Swami Ji for Snan under a fixed protocol.
As per the local sources, on a day when more than 4.52 crore devotees took a holy dip at the Sangam on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya, Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati arrived on a chariot with a large number of followers in tow to take a holy dip at the Sangam, and was hence stopped by the Mela police.
According to Superintendent of Police (Magh Mela) Neeraj Pandey, the seer was attempting to enter the bathing ghat with around 200-250 followers without taking permission.
He had even broken a barricade at Bridge Number 2, said the cop.
The police said the seer was told about the heavy rush of devotees, but he refused to stop and returned without taking the holy dip.
Pandey said that the police administration respected all saints and seers, but the safety of devotees was of paramount importance.
The Shankaracharya has been staging a dharna at the very spot where the police left him, opposing the stopping of his palanquin (chariot) procession.
The Shankaracharya spent the entire night sitting in protest in the cold inside his tent. The protesting seer said that he would not take a holy dip in the Ganga until the police administration escorted him with dignity and proper protocol.
Meanwhile, the CCTV footage surfaced on Monday showed chaotic scenes during Avimukteshwaranand’s chariot procession on Mauni Amavasya at the Magh Mela.
The video shows police barricades placed along the procession route.
As the chariot approached, an argument broke out between the Shankaracharya’s supporters and the police personnel deployed at the spot.
Moments later, supporters began pushing forward after breaking through the barricades. Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand, who was riding the chariot, also moved ahead as the crowd surged.
The footage shows supporters pushing and jostling police officers while moving forward. When the situation spiralled out of control, police officers attempted to disperse the crowd and restore order.
However, the supporters did not stop and continued advancing, knocking down barricades in the process.
The CCTV clip captures the confusion and disorder that unfolded during the religious procession.
The most auspicious ritual bath of the Magh Mela was on Sunday, January 18. Despite dense fog, devotees had begun arriving at the Sangam ghats from midnight. The stream of devotees continued in the early morning hours.
Asserting that the mistreatment of saints was unpardonable, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav posted a video of the incident on social media and demanded a probe.
“The alleged mistreatment of saints and devotees in the Magh Mela area this year, just like last year, is unpardonable. The centuries-old, uninterrupted Sanatani tradition of the royal bath (‘Shahi Snan’) was disrupted last year as well, under the same government,” said the SP chief, asking why such incidents were occurring under a BJP-led government.
“Is the Shahi Snan on Mauni Amavasya happening for the first time? The BJP’s misgovernance and failed arrangements are solely responsible for this situation,” alleged the former UP CM.
Senior Samajwadi Party and Congress leaders have also condemned the Sunday incident.