Now, Shankaracharya Swaroopanand blames honeymooners for 2013 Kedarnath floods

After stirring a controversy by blaming the worship of Sai Baba for the Maharashtra drought and saying that incidents of rapes would increase if women enter the Shani temple, Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati, the Shankaracharya of Dwaraka-Sharda Peeth is at it again. 

HT has quoted him saying that honeymooners and picnic-goers are responsible for the 2013 Kedarnath flash flood. According to him, 'unholy activities' in sacred places can  lead to disasters. The 94-year-old seer said, “People coming from different parts of the country to holy places of Devbhoomi (Uttarakhand) for enjoyment, picnic and honeymoon led to the Kedarnath disaster. Similar incidents could happen if unholy activities are not stopped".

Shankaracharya's views about the cause behind the Maharashtra drought has already created furore amongst worshippers of Sai Baba. His statement that rapes will increase if women enter the Shani Shingnapur temple has also been roundly denounced. Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu took to Twitter on Tuesday to express his disagreement saying, 

"Politely disagree with the views expressed by Swami Swaroopananda ji about women's entry in Shani Shingnapur temple will bring ill luck to them and give rise to  crimes against them; and attributing drought situation in Maharashtra to Shirdi Saibaba worship".

Swami's blatantly insensitive comment about the Kedarnath disaster, where more than 5000 people lost their life back in 2013, is also unlikely to go down well.