The Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) on Monday staged a strong protest in Agartala, condemning the alleged assault on Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati and other saints by the Uttar Pradesh police administration. The demonstration reflected growing opposition outrage over what the party termed an insult to religious leaders and traditions.
As part of the protest, Congress workers burnt effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath at Shakuntala Road. Party supporters raised slogans against the BJP-led governments, accusing them of suppressing religious voices while claiming to uphold Hindu values.
Addressing the gathering, Tripura Congress president Asish Kumar Saha launched a scathing attack on the ruling party. He alleged that the BJP neither respects religion nor faith and is driven solely by the hunger for political power. Referring to slogans displayed on protest banners such as “Hindu Khatre Me Hain,” Saha said the BJP frequently invokes the name of Lord Ram but fails to honour spiritual traditions and religious leaders in practice.
“We are deeply pained by the mistreatment of Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand ji. He has been forced to go on a hunger strike, yet the government remains indifferent. The Modi government should be ashamed of such behaviour,” Saha said.
The controversy stems from an incident during the Magh Mela in Prayagraj on Sunday. According to reports, the Shankaracharya was stopped by the administration from proceeding in a palanquin for a holy dip at the Sangam on the auspicious occasion of Mauni Amavasya. A confrontation reportedly followed between his supporters and police personnel, after which the spiritual leader returned without performing the ritual bath.
In protest, the Shankaracharya began a sit-in outside his camp on Triveni Marg and renounced food and water, demanding a public apology from the authorities. The episode has sparked widespread criticism across the country, with opposition parties accusing the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh of disrespecting saints and undermining long-standing religious customs.
The TPCC said it would continue to raise its voice until accountability is fixed and the dignity of religious leaders is restored.
