Prayagraj, Jan 21 (NationPress) Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati has issued a robust rebuttal against the legal notice from the Magh Mela administration, which questioned his use of the title ‘Shankaracharya’. He cautioned that failure to withdraw the notice would compel him to pursue legal action for contempt of court and initiate a defamation lawsuit against the officials involved.

On Tuesday, the Prayagraj Mela Authority served a notice to Swami Avimukteshwaranand, challenging the legitimacy of his claim to the title ‘Shankaracharya’, a title traditionally held by the top spiritual leaders of Sanatana Dharma. The notice demanded clarification regarding the validity of his assertion.

In a detailed eight-page response, Swami Avimukteshwaranand labeled the notice as disrespectful and claimed it was an attempt to disrupt the faith of his followers within Sanatana Dharma.

Mela Authority officials referenced a Supreme Court ruling, asserting that Swami Avimukteshwaranand is not acknowledged as the Shankaracharya of Jyotirmath. They questioned the grounds on which he is claiming the title and requested a response within a 24-hour timeframe.

The notice refers to a legal case titled ‘3010/2020 Jagat Guru Shankaracharya Jyotishpeeth P.S.S.N. Saraswati versus Swami Vasudevanand Saraswati’, which involves a protracted dispute over who rightfully holds the title of Shankaracharya of Jyotir Math, also known as Jyotish Peeth.

This matter encompasses conflicting claims about eligibility and the validity of appointments made by competing factions, rooted in historical disagreements and having been scrutinized at various judicial levels, including trial courts, High Courts, and the Supreme Court, particularly regarding injunctions and eligibility.

Both Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati, also referred to as P.S.S.N. Saraswati, and Swami Vasudevanand Saraswati, a disciple of Swami Shantanand Saraswati, claim leadership of Jyotir Math, located at Badrinath.

In October 2022, the Supreme Court halted the coronation of Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati as the new Shankaracharya of Jyotir Math in Uttarakhand.

On behalf of Swami Avimukteshwaranand, Supreme Court attorney P.N. Mishra stated that the civil appeal referenced by the administration pertains to an order dated October 14, 2022.

Mishra noted that prior to this, an order dated September 21, 2022, had already designated Swami Avimukteshwaranand as Shankaracharya.

“The Swami’s coronation occurred on October 12, 2022. The Supreme Court administration is referencing an order dated October 17. However, Swami Avimukteshwaranand’s coronation had already transpired,” Mishra explained.

“The Supreme Court has mentioned ‘Shankaracharya’ multiple times in its orders. The notice from administrative officials amounts to contempt of the Supreme Court, which has prohibited any coronation after October 17,” Mishra further asserted.

He also accused Swami Vasudevanand of obtaining the order through a false affidavit and indicated that a petition has been lodged against him.

“We have submitted a response on behalf of Swami Avimukteshwaranand regarding this notice. Actions will be taken against the officials who caused confusion by issuing the notice,” he stated.

This controversy arises amid heightened tensions following an incident on Sunday during the sacred observance of Mauni Amavasya, when Swami Avimukteshwaranand and his followers attempted to take a holy dip at the Sangam Nose.

The seer alleged that police obstructed him and even “assaulted” his disciples.

During the incident, he accused police personnel of preventing him and his followers from bathing in the Ganga on Mauni Amavasya.

In protest, he sat outside his camp without food and water, demanding an apology from senior officials of the Mela administration and the police.

However, Mela Officer Rishiraj claimed that the seer’s supporters had allegedly breached barricades on a pontoon bridge designated for emergency services.

District Magistrate Manish Verma stated that similar inquiries about the status of the Jyotish Peeth Shankaracharya had been raised during the 2022 Magh Mela, prompting the previous Mela officer to seek legal counsel.

According to the administration’s notice dated January 19, the Mela Authority referred to a pending civil appeal before the Supreme Court and requested Swami Avimukteshwaranand to clarify how he was utilizing the title of Shankaracharya of Jyotish Peeth.

The notice emphasized that since no further orders have been issued in this matter, and until the Supreme Court resolves the appeal or provides additional guidance concerning consecration, no Dharmacharya can be consecrated as the Shankaracharya of Jyotish Peeth.