Shankaracharya Avimukteshwarananda Supports Uddhav Thackeray's Return As Maharashtra Chief Minister

Swami Avimukteshwarananda, the 46th Shankaracharya of Jyotirmath, expressed that his "pain won't be relieved" until Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray is reinstated as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra.

During a media interaction after visiting Uddhav Thackeray's residence 'Matoshree' in Mumbai on Monday, he remarked, "We, as followers of the Hindu religion, believe in sin (paap) and holy deeds (punya). The greatest sin is betrayal. Uddhav Thackeray has been deceived."

"I told him (Uddhav Thackeray) that the betrayal he faced pained us all. Our pain will only be alleviated when he becomes the Chief Minister of Maharashtra again," the Shankaracharya stated.

He emphasized that betrayal is uncharacteristic of a Hindu, stating, "The people of Maharashtra are hurt by this betrayal, as evident from the election results."

"This also disrespects the people who chose their leader. It is wrong to dismantle a government mid-tenure and insult the public mandate," he added.

Notably, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, along with over 40 Shiv Sena MLAs, had rebelled against then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, leading to the fall of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. Shinde allied with the BJP and became the new Chief Minister, with the Shinde faction of Shiv Sena receiving the Bow and Arrow symbol from the Election Commission.

Regarding his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the wedding of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant, the Shankaracharya mentioned, "He came to me and offered his respects. It is customary for us to bless anyone who approaches us, so I blessed him. Narendra Modi is not our enemy. We wish him well and speak for his welfare. If he makes a mistake, we point it out."

Swami Avimukteshwaranand, along with the Shankaracharya of Dwarka Peeth Swami Sadananda Saraswati, attended the wedding of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant in Mumbai on July 12.