“Insulting heritage for political gain…” — Avimukteshwaranand lashes out at Rahul Gandhi

“Insulting heritage for political gain…” — Avimukteshwaranand lashes out at Rahul Gandhi

Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati, the Shankaracharya of Jyotirmath, has launched a scathing attack on the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi. The trigger for this criticism is a statement Rahul Gandhi made regarding the *Manusmriti*. Lashing out at Rahul, the Shankaracharya urged him to abandon his anti-scriptural mindset and stop spreading falsehoods and misinformation, asserting that Rahul holds an anti-Sanatan outlook. In a press statement, he wrote: “The remarks made by Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi regarding the Hindu scripture *Manusmriti* and Sanatan cultural values ​​during the ‘Goonj’ event with students in Pune expose his profound ignorance, flawed understanding, and a malicious mindset towards Sanatan traditions. Presenting verses from ancient scriptures out of context for political gain is not merely an insult to our cultural heritage but a sinister attempt to mislead society.” Political reactions to Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati’s statement have begun to emerge; while the Congress party is defending Rahul Gandhi against the Shankaracharya’s criticism, the Samajwadi Party (SP) is refraining from speaking openly on the matter.