Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati who has declared that he will not eat or drink until he is permitted to offer prayers at the recently discovered structure at the Gyanvapi mosque is no stranger to controversy.
Saraswati declared his determination to pray at the shivling on Friday. Almost immediately, the local administration swung into action and put him in detention at his Vidya math (monastery). The peeved Saraswati then sat outside his math on a hunger strike.
A structure was discovered at the wuzu khana (water body for ablution before offering namaz) of the Gyanvapi mosque during a Court-ordered survey between May 14 and 16. There is no authoritative decision on what exactly the structure is.
Saraswati has denied that he is trying to challenge the Courts in any way. “We will obey the Court’s decision. However, till the decision is made, is our Lord supposed to go thirsty and hungry?”, he asks. He said that he will consult his guru Jagatguru Shankracharya Swaroopanand Saraswati on the future course of action if the Commissioner refused permission to conduct prayers (to the claimed Shivling).
Among Sarawati’s controversial statements is the one he made about Yogi Adityanath’s unsuitability to be a Chief Minister. In January 2022, he had said that no man could abide by two pledges-that of sainthood and that of a constitutional position. He had added that this was possible only in Islam where the king could also be the religious head.
He had also called out the poor management of the Magh fair at Prayagraj blaming BJP politicians for being too busy with the elections.
Perhaps his most controversial act was in May 2022 when he objected to a statue of Sai Baba in a temple in Chhindwara. He is alleged to have questioned the presence of Sai Baba in two temples where a Goddess and Ram-Sita are worshipped. He had said that what was the purpose of the deities when a man was worshipped at the same place. Worshippers of Sai Baba hold him to be an avatar of Lord Gurudatta who is an incarnation of the divine trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh. The statue and pictures were later removed.
Abhay Nath Yadav, one of the lawyers for the defendants said, “This is an effort to cause trouble. When it is still to be decided whether the structure is a shivling or a fountain; how can he insist on offering prayers? The area is anyway sealed by the administration so the question of anyone breaching the seal does not arise.” Sudhor Tripathi, one of the lawyers of the five plaintiffs who have filed a suit asking for permission to worship Ma Shringar Gauri whose image is located on the western wall of the Gyanvapi mosque said, “It is a matter of religious sentiment. However, no one is in favour of any animosity”.