Continuing to court controversy, Jyotir and Dwarika Peeth Shankaracharya Swaroopanand Saraswati has targeted Bahujan Samaj Party head Mayawati on Monday, asking her to sing the glory of lord Rama. “She would not win by just singing the glory of the Bhim Rao Ambedkar. She must learn to sing the glory of lord Rama to turn into a formidable force in the Uttar Pradesh politics,” he said.
Observers wonder whether the redoubtable and fire-spewing religious head of an important Hindu Peeth, known so long for his proximity to the Congress, is now softening towards the Sangh Parivar and its present mascot Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister.
Citing an earlier happening, Shankaracharya said that Mayavati had failed to win election by coining the slogan Tilak, Talwar and Taraju. “After realising her mistake in the wake of her electoral bebacle, she replaced it with another- Hathi nahin Ganesh hai, Brahma Vishnu Mahesh hai. Riding on it, she romped to power in Uttar Pradesh. She must be wary of repeating the same mistake of hurting religious susceptibility of the people. To turn into a wining power, she must club Rama with Bheem (Ambedkar),” the Shankaracharya said while talking to the media persons at his ashram in Kankhal on Monday.
Shankaracharya was all praise for PM Modi for seeking to provide facilities to the Hindu refugees from Pakistan. However, in the same breath, he said Modi would become the true champion of the cause of the Hindus if his government bans cow slaughter and selling of beef through the length and breath of India. “This is a must. Besides, Ramayana and Mahabharata must be incorporated in the school curriculum throughout India to imbibe in the students a true sense of belonging to the timeless culture of the land,” the seer said.