Twitter
Advertisement

In war for Badrinath Shankaracharya post, Allahabad High Court has final say

The court has also asked the Central and state governments to frame rules against fake saints.

Latest News
article-main
FacebookTwitterWhatsappLinkedin

In a landmark judgment, the Allahabad High Court on Friday declared the Badrinath Shankaracharya post vacant and said both Swami Swaroopanand and Vasudevanand Saraswati were ‘unfit’ to hold the post.

The court has given three months to the authorities concerned to come up with the suitable candidate.

The judgment also spoke about self-proclaimed Shankaracharyas and priests and directed the Centre and state governments to frame laws to check fake ones and audit their movable and immovable assets.

In the three decade old case, a two-member bench of the Allahabad High Court comprising Justice Sudhir Agarawal and Justice KJ Thakur rejected claims of both Swami Swaroopnand and Swami Vasudevanad Saraswati on Shankaracharya of Jyotishpeeth Badrikashram.

The court directed All-India Dharma Mahamandal and Kashi Vidhvat Parishad to elect a new Sankaracharya within three months in consultation of Shankaracharyas of three established peeths.

The court maintained that only four ‘peeths’ — Puri, Dwarka, Shringeri, and Badrinath — were established by the Adi Sankaracharya and the procedure adopted in 1941 would be followed in the selection of the new seer.

After concluding the arguments, the bench had reserved its verdict on January 3 2017.

On Friday its pronounced its judgment, which says that Swami Swaroopanand would continue till a new Shankaracharya is elected.

The bench said that Swami Vasudevanand Saraswati is not a Sanyasi so he can’t head the Peeth. Similarly, Swami Swaroopanand took over when the issue was pending in the lower court.

The lower court had allowed Swami Swaroopnanad to continue as the Shankaracharya of the peeth.

The court also directed the Centre and the state Government to frame laws to put an effective curb on fake and self-styled Priests and Shankaracharyas. “The government should also get audit of their assets done,” it said.

Find your daily dose of news & explainers in your WhatsApp. Stay updated, Stay informed-  Follow DNA on WhatsApp.
Advertisement

Live tv

Advertisement
Advertisement