Swaroopanand defers Ayodhya march in ‘national interest’
PRAYAGRAJ: In light of the changed situation in the country after the terror attack on a CRPF convoy in Pulwama (J&K), Jyotishpeeth Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati on Sunday deferred his proposed march to Ayodhya where he had planned to perform ‘shilanyas’ for Ram temple construction.
The shakaracharya had planned to kick-start the march from his Kumbh Mela camp here on Sunday.
In a communiqué issued on behalf of the shankaracharya, convener of the proposed march Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati said, “The shankaracharya
was set to move to Prayagraj this (Sunday) morning to launch the campaign. His disciples and followers requested him to postpone or alter the march in the wake of his poor health but he remained adamant.”
Two days ago, the pontiff had moved to Varanasi from Prayagraj for treatment at BHU’s Sir Sunderlal Hospital after he complained of breathing trouble.
He was discharged late Saturday night and moved to his Shri Vidya Mutt ashram at Kedarghat in Varanasi. Swami Avimukteshwaranand said disciples Swami Sadanand Saraswati, Brahmchari Subbudhanand and Shri Prakash Mishra, among others, drew the shankaracharya’s attention towards news reports regarding Pulwama attack and the prevailing sentiments among the people.
“After this, he decided to defer the march for an indefinite period,” he said. Avimukteshwaranand added that Varanasi district magistrate Surendra Singh also visited the shankaracharya and repeated the request after which he said that he was with the country and deferred the march in national interest.
The seer has appealed to all his followers and disciples, who had left their homes to participate in the march, to take a dip in the Sangam, proceed to Ayodhya for ‘darshan’ of Ram Lalla and return to their homes peacefully.
Earlier, the state government and the district administrations of Ayodhya, Prayagraj and Varanasi had been trying to convince the top seer to call off his march.
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath and president of the Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad (ABAP) Mahant Narendra Giri had also requested the shankaracharya to call off the march.