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Saying ‘I love Mahadev’ disrespectful to Mahadev: Shankaracharya amid Bareilly unrest
Protests and violent clashes had broken out in parts of Uttar Pradesh over an FIR against 24 people for putting up ‘I Love Mohammad’ posters.
Amid the ongoing ‘I love Mohammad’ protests in parts of Uttar Pradesh, Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati on Saturday claimed that saying “I love Mahadev” is disrespectful to Mahadev. He added that the controversy was started to draw the public's attention from ‘real issues’.
“I don't know about Mohammed. Those who are with Mohammed may know about him. But is saying, ‘I love Mahadev’, an honour or an insult to Mahadev?” the religious leader, who is known for making controversial statements, said.
Speaking in Bihar's Bettiah, Avimukteshwaranand said, “I love Mohammed, I love Mahadev' row has been started to distract the public from the real issues.” He said that saying “I love Mahadev” is an insult to Mahadev. “Is Mahadev a matter of worship or love?" he said, terming it ‘disrespectful’.
‘I love Mohammad’ protests have rocked parts of Uttar Pradesh over the past few weeks. Last Friday, around 2,000 protestors clashed with police outside a mosque after the congregational prayers.
Maulana Tauqeer Raza, a cleric and Ittehad-e-Millat Council chief, who was later arrested by police, allegedly called for a protest in support of the 'I Love Muhammad' poster. However, the cleric made a last-minute announcement that the demonstration had been called off, resulting in unrest. At least 81 people have been arrested in the aftermath of the protests.
The protests had been called over the FIR against 24 people for allegedly installing boards with “I Love Muhammad” written on them on during a Barawafat procession on September 4.
Hindu groups and organisations in the area objected to the posters and called it a "deliberate provocation."
The initial call for the protest made by Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan called for a procession to the district magistrate's house to submit a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which penned their dissatisfaction with the FIR against the poster.
