Prayagraj: A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Supreme Court on Friday against the alleged mistreatment of Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati and his disciples by the police during the Magh Mela in Prayagraj.
Advocate Ujjwal Gaur submitted the petition, citing the incident that took place on Mauni Amavasya (January 18). The petition alleges violations of Articles 14 (Right to Equality), 21 (Right to Life and Personal Liberty), and 25 (Freedom of Religion) of the Indian Constitution.
The petition states that during the royal bath on Mauni Amavasya, the police stopped the Shankaracharya’s palanquin and engaged in pushing, shoving, and abusive behaviour towards his disciples and Brahmin students. Video footage reportedly shows police dragging people by their hair and using force, which hurt religious sentiments and raised serious questions about law and order.
The petitioner argued that there is no prescribed standard operating procedure (SOP) for police action concerning religious figures, especially Shankaracharyas and saints. This lack of guidelines leads to arbitrary behaviour and disrespect towards these religious leaders.
The petition requests the Supreme Court to direct the creation of a permanent SOP for Shankaracharyas, religious leaders, and saints during the Magh Mela or any other religious event. This SOP should include provisions for their royal bath, palanquin entry, and security arrangements. It also calls for an effective mechanism to address complaints against government excesses towards religious figures, ensuring prompt relief for victims. Additionally, the petition seeks guidelines to curb police arbitrariness in such incidents to prevent violations of religious freedom in the future.
The controversy began on Mauni Amavasya when the Shankaracharya was proceeding for the Sangam bath. Police reportedly stopped him citing barricading and crowd management, leading to protests by disciples and subsequent clashes.
The Shankaracharya described the incident as an insult, staged a sit-in and hunger strike for 10-11 days, and finally left the mela without taking the bath on January 28, returning to Varanasi. He accused the Yogi government of promoting “fake Hindus.”
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