Swami Avimukteshwaranand Asks CM Yogi Adityanath To ‘Prove’ He Is Hindu Amid Magh Mela Row

Last Updated:January 30, 2026, 23:38 IST

Swami Avimukteshwaranand challenged Yogi Adityanath to prove his commitment to Hindu values by halting beef exports from the state.

UP CM Yogi Adityanath and Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati

Amid the ongoing controversy surrounding the Magh Mela in Prayagraj, Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati on Friday challenged Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to prove his commitment to Hindu values by halting beef exports from the state and declaring the cow as ‘Rajya Mata’.

The seer said such steps would serve as proof of the chief minister’s credentials as a “Hindu sympathiser". His remarks come in the wake of allegations that he was prevented from taking a ritual dip at the Sangam during the Magh Mela earlier this month.

Speaking to reporters in Varanasi, Swami Avimukteshwaranand said he had staged a sit-in protest at the Mela site for 11 days following the incident but left last Wednesday “with a heavy heart".

He claimed that despite his protest, no official approached him to facilitate the holy dip.

“When I sat there for 11 days, no one came to ask me to take a dip. Now it is too late. I will return next year and take a respectful bath," he said.

Taking aim at the state government, the seer said stopping cow slaughter and beef exports should be the first step in asserting adherence to Hindu principles.

“Our credentials were questioned and we provided answers. Now it is your turn to give proof. The foundation of being a Hindu is reverence for the cow. Declare the cow as ‘Rashtra Mata’ and stop the export of cow meat from Uttar Pradesh," he added.

The dispute dates back to January 18, when Swami Avimukteshwaranand was travelling in a palanquin to the Sangam on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya.

Authorities reportedly asked him to dismount and proceed on foot due to heavy crowding, leading to a confrontation. The Mela administration later alleged that his supporters broke a barricade on a pontoon bridge, complicating crowd control efforts.

Following the episode, the seer launched a sit-in protest outside the Shankaracharya camp, demanding an apology and a dignified escort for the ritual bath.

He also announced that he would not take a dip until the administration apologised for what he described as misbehaviour towards him and his followers.

The controversy deepened after the Mela administration issued a notice seeking an explanation regarding his use of the title ‘Shankaracharya of Jyotish Peeth’, citing a civil appeal pending before the Supreme Court. Swami Avimukteshwaranand countered the notice by questioning how two Shankaracharyas from Puri were permitted to set up camps at the same event.

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