Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav met Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati in Lucknow on March 12, 2026, seeking blessings and pledging to combat fake saints. The meeting occurred amid the swami's planned campaign for cow protection. Yadav also criticized the BJP government over law and order and an LPG shortage.
On March 12, 2026, Akhilesh Yadav, president of the Samajwadi Party, met Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati, the Shankaracharya of Jyotirmath in Uttarakhand, in Lucknow. Yadav sought the swami's blessings, stating, “Today I received blessings from Pujya Shankaracharya ji. There is nothing better than getting the blessings of revered saints before starting any auspicious work and moving forward. With the blessings of Pujya Shankaracharya ji, fake saints will come to an end.”
The SP leader described a personal battle between right and wrong, adding, “Every person has a desire to do good. For me, there is a battle between right and wrong. Today, we should all have the Sudarshan Chakra to fight so that we can remove the sin that has spread.” This remark appeared to target the Bharatiya Janata Party government indirectly.
The meeting took place as Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati prepared to launch an 81-day campaign across Uttar Pradesh starting May 3, 2026, calling for the cow to be recognized as Rashtra Mata and for a nationwide ban on cow slaughter.
Yadav recalled actions by the previous SP government, including establishing Uttar Pradesh's first cow milk plant in Kannauj, which he said the current administration had closed. He affirmed, “We will do whatever we can to serve the cow.”
Yadav alleged a collapse in law and order in Uttar Pradesh, claiming continuous incidents and media pressure to suppress reporting. He accused the BJP of destroying democracy.
Addressing the LPG crisis linked to the West Asia conflict, Yadav blamed the central and state BJP governments, stating people were resorting to cooking on wood and facing shortages of electric goods due to policy failures.
Samajwadi Party spokesperson Sunil Singh Yadav Sajan described the visit as a courtesy to the saint, whom he said had been humiliated by the Yogi Adityanath government. He noted SP support for the swami's efforts and Yadav's vow to remove the BJP administration, which he accused of disrespecting cultural symbols.
