"Should've sent Rambhadracharya to jail", says Akhilesh over Shankracharya row

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday launched a sharp attack on the government over the controversy involving Rambhadracharya, alleging deliberate humiliation of a Shankaracharya and interference in religious practices. Speaking to reporters in Lucknow, Yadav said such incidents were unprecedented in Sanatan tradition.

Referring to the recent developments, Yadav claimed that the Shankaracharya was forced to sit on a dharna for days during peak winter and was even prevented from bathing. “In our Sanatan tradition, no Shankaracharya has ever been stopped from bathing. This has never happened before,” he said, calling the episode deeply disturbing.

Taking his criticism further, Yadav said a decades-old issue had been deliberately revived to defame the religious leader. Referring to Rambhadracharya, he expressed regret over withdrawing a past case. “I made a mistake by withdrawing the case that was once against Rambhadracharya. I should have sent him to jail,” the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister remarked.

Yadav added that ideological differences are part of a healthy democracy but accused the government of crossing all limits by encouraging such actions. “That is why I am saying this government is now beyond saving,” he said, intensifying the political attack amid the ongoing controversy.