Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati on Thursday criticised Narendra Modi for serving tea to US president Barack Obama, saying the Prime Minister had insulted the country in doing so.
"He (Modi) might have been born in a poor family and sold tea for living. But as the prime minister of India, he should not have made tea for Obama," the Shankaracharya of Dwarka told a press conference.
On Sunday, Modi and Obama had gone for a short stroll in the garden of the Hyderabad House in New Delhi. Once they had settled down at a special enclosure in the garden, Modi had prepared tea for Obama while they continued their one-on-one discussion.
Swaroopanand was here to attend a dharma sansad (religious meeting) organised as part of his anti-Sai Baba campaign. In reply to a media query, Swaroopanand targeted Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan for visting the Sai temple at Shirdi in Maharashtra. For years, the chief minister has been visiting the shrine on the New Year.
Continuing his attack on Sai Baba, he said the followers of Sanatan Dharma have become 'confused' and taking advantage of this, the whole myth about Sai Baba was being perpetuated. The shankaracharya also accused the Bollywood filmmakers for this 'confusion'.
Incidentally, the Dharma Sansad took place at the Balajipuram temple where the Sai's idol had been removed some months ago after Swaroopanand declared that the Sai was no God.
{{/usCountry}}Incidentally, the Dharma Sansad took place at the Balajipuram temple where the Sai's idol had been removed some months ago after Swaroopanand declared that the Sai was no God.
{{/usCountry}}Founder of the temple Sam Verma said he had only been trying to safeguard the fundamental tenets of Sanatan Dharma and that’s why the idol, which had been placed in the temple 12 years ago, was removed following the Dharma Sansad's call.