Kangana Ranaut’s 'Golgappa' Jibe At Shankaracharya Over 'Traitor' Remark

In response to comments made against Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, actor Kangana Ranaut, a BJP MP from Mandi in Himachal Pradesh, on Thursday, took a subtle jab at Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati, the Shankaracharya of Jyotirmath in Uttarakhand. She claimed that by labelling Shinde a "traitor" and a "betrayer," Swami had misused his influence and religious education.

In a post on X, the BJP MP wrote: “In politics, it is very normal and constitutional to have alliances, treaties and division of a party. The Congress party was divided in 1907 and then again in 1971. If a politician does not do politics, will he sell golgappas?” she said in a post on X.

“Shankaracharya ji has misused his words and his influence and religious education. Religion also says that if the king himself starts exploiting his subjects then treason is the ultimate religion. Shankaracharya Ji has hurt the sentiments of all of us by using derogatory words against our honourable Chief Minister of Maharashtra @mieknathshinde by accusing him of being a traitor and a betrayer. Shankaracharya Ji is insulting the dignity of the Hindu religion by saying such petty and petty things,” she added.

Earlier this week, Swami Avimukteshwaranand met Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai and said that the latter was a “victim of betrayal”. 

“Uddhav Thackeray has been betrayed, and many people are anguished by it. I met him today as per his request and told him that people’s pain won’t subside till he becomes the (Maharashtra) chief minister again,” the Shankaracharya had told reporters after the meeting at `Matoshree’, Thackeray’s Bandra residence.

“Betrayal is the biggest sin. The one who betrays can’t be a Hindu. The one who tolerates betrayal is a Hindu. The entire populace of Maharashtra is anguished by the betrayal and this was reflected in the recent (Lok Sabha) elections,” he added.

“We don’t have anything to do with politics, but we are talking about betrayal which is a sin as per religion,” the Shankaracharya added.

When Eknath Shinde and a few other MLAs rebelled against Thackeray in 2022, the party that Bal Thackeray had created collapsed. Shinde later formed the Maharashtra government in coalition with the BJP, and he was appointed chief minister.

Shankaracharya made headlines earlier this year when he declined an invitation to attend the consecration ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.