Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati of the Jyotish Peeth in Uttarakhand is taking Modi-parivar to task. He is acting like the Old Testament prophets correcting the kings. (Mark 6.18) For John had been telling Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife!" Uddhav Thackeray had to resign as the Maharashtra Chief Minister in June 2022 after Eknath Shinde rebelled and walked out with a majority of the Shiv Sena MLAs with him to assume the top post by forming a government in alliance with the BJP. Last week, Shankaracharya attended a puja ceremony at Uddhav Thackeray's home, Matoshree. After meeting Mr Thackeray at his residence, he told reporters, "Uddhav Thackeray has been betrayed and many people are anguished by it. I met him today as per his request and told him that people's pain won't subside till he becomes the Chief Minister again!"

Betrayal is the biggest sin, he said, adding, "The one who betrays can't be a Hindu. The one who tolerates betrayal is a Hindu…. The entire populace of Maharashtra is anguished by the betrayal and this was reflected in the recent (Lok Sabha) elections."

Reacting to the criticism that he is meddling with politics, he said, "We don't have anything to do with politics, but we are talking about betrayal, which is a sin as per religion."

Following the speech of Rahul Gandhi in the Lok Sabha as leader of the opposition, he said, "I listened to the entire speech of Rahul Gandhi. He did not condemn Hindus but those who do not practice Ahimsa. Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati staunchly defended Rahul Gandhi's speech, asserting Hinduism opposes fear and violence. Saraswati clarified Gandhi's criticism targeted specific political entities, not Hinduism itself. Amidst heated parliamentary debates, Gandhi emphasised universal values of courage and non-violence, challenging BJP's representation claims.

Swami rejects sin, not the person. He had no hesitation in turning down Modi's invitation to the Ram temple consecration ceremony in Ayodhya. Yet Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought his blessings when they met at the "Shubh Ashirwad" ceremony of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant in Mumbai on Saturday, and he blessed him. Shankaracharya explained, "Yes, PM Modi came to me and did a 'pranaam'. It is our rule that we will bless whoever comes to us. Narendra Modi ji is not our enemy. We are his well-wishers and always speak for his welfare. If he makes a mistake, we point that out to him as well. He is not our enemy."

On the laying of a foundation stone of a Kedarnath temple in New Delhi on July 10 by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, the seer said, "When Kedarnath's address is in the Himalayas, how can it be located in Delhi? Why are you confusing the people?"

Honestly, I find the actions and words of the Shankaracharya prophetic -bold and very necessary in the present political situation in the country. Will our Bishops and Church authorities, the CBCI, for example, pass judgements on decisions against justice, morality, faith, and the poor, for example, against the Kuki tribe in Manipur, taken by the government, either Central or state? I realise that a clear stand is not possible mainly because the Church administers many social and educational institutes that need the consent and 'favours' of the government authorities and political parties. How can we be prophetic and true to our office of preaching and living the values of Jesus Christ?