In a tit-for-tat apparently aimed at chief minister Yogi Adityanath, newly elected Allahabad University Students’ Union (AUSU) president Awanish Kumar Yadav undertook a ‘purification’ ritual at the union chief’s office and the offices of other new office bearers at the Union Hall of the university on Sunday.
Awanish Kumar Yadav owes allegiance to the Samajwadi Chatra Sabha, the students’ wing of the Samajwadi Party. Rohit Mishra of the BJP-affiliated ABVP was the previous union president.
Akhilesh Gupta, district president of the Samajwadi Chatra Sabha, confirmed the ritual having been conducted at AU union hall.
After taking oath, Awanish Kumar Yadav got ‘Gangajal’ sprinkled in the president’s office.
He claimed a similar act of the chief minister ‘inspired’ him to do so.
During the ritual at AU union hall, other newly elected AUSU office bearers owing allegiance to the Samajwadi Chatra Sabha were also present.
Adityanath had got the chief minister’s official residence at 5 Kalidas Marg, Lucknow, ‘purified’ by priests in March before moving into the place. Before Adityanath was sworn in as chief minister, his predecessor Akhilesh Yadav had been living at 5, Kalidas Marg.
For 10 days after taking oath on March 19, Adityanath had stayed at the VVIP guesthouse in Lucknow after being sworn in as the chief minister on March 19. He moved in to the chief minister’s official residence on the first day of the Chaitra Navratri on March 29 after seven seers from Gorakhpur performed cleansing rituals. ‘Swastik’ signs were put up on the entry and exit gates of the house to make his stay auspicious.
Speaking on the ‘shuddhikaran’ (purification) of 5, Kalidas Marg (CM’s official residence), Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav had said: “When we form the government again in 2022, we will sprinkle ‘Gangajal’ not only at 5 Kalidas Marg but also at all the government offices (to purify them). We will sprinkle it on you too.”