UP Oppn hails HC relief to Shankaracharya, flags ‘political targeting’ by govt

Opposition parties in Uttar Pradesh on Friday welcomed the Allahabad High Court’s decision to stay the arrest of Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati, framing the interim relief as both a legal vindication and a political setback for the state government.

The court reserved its order on the seer’s anticipatory bail plea in a case registered against him under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, while granting protection from arrest until the final verdict is pronounced.

Reacting swiftly to the development, Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai described the stay as a “befitting reply” to what he alleged were attempts to target the Shankaracharya out of “malice and hatred”.

“This stay by the court is a befitting reply to the attempts being made to target Pujya Shankaracharya with malice and hatred. Every attempt to suppress the truth ultimately fails. Satyameva Jayate,” Rai said.

Calling the order a victory for justice and truth, the Congress leader asserted that both the residents of Kashi and his party stood firmly with Avimukteshwaranand.

“We will not tolerate his insult at any cost. The government should remember that its dictatorship will not last long. The public is watching, and a befitting reply will be given when the time comes,” he said.

Invoking Varanasi’s religious legacy, Rai added, “Kashi has been a sacred land of saint tradition for centuries, where the respect of saints is considered paramount. Any attempt to harm such a sacred tradition is condemnable.”

Echoing similar sentiments, Samajwadi Party national spokesperson and MP Rajiv Rai suggested the judiciary was conscious of the broader political context surrounding the case.

Speaking to reporters in Ballia, he remarked that courts are aware of the “kind of action the government takes and why”, hinting that the charges may be politically motivated.

The interim order was passed by Justice Jitendra Kumar Sinha, who directed both the state government and the informant, Ashutosh Pandey alias Ashutosh Brahmchari, to submit their replies.

The court indicated that the order on the anticipatory bail plea is likely to be delivered in the third week of March and instructed the applicant to cooperate fully with the police investigation.

Significantly, it clarified that Avimukteshwaranand shall not be arrested in connection with the FIR until the pronouncement of the final order.

The high court’s interim relief triggered celebrations among the seer’s disciples and supporters at an ashram in Varanasi. Avimukteshwaranand himself welcomed the development, reiterating that the allegations against him were “fabricated”.

With PTI inputs