The Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati of Dwaraka-Peeth has been controversy’s favourite child of late, with his footloose comments and his uncanny ability to string two unrelated events together. Here are a few times he let his tongue get the better of him and invoked the wrath of the public:
Honeymooners responsible for devastating Kedarnath floods
“People coming from different parts of the country to holy places of Devbhoomi (Uttarakhand) for enjoyment, picnic and honeymoon led to the Kedarnath disaster,” he said on Wednesday, claiming that this trend of “polluting the environment” could result in another calamity, the Hindustan Times reported.
Entry of women into the Shani Shingnapur shrine will drive rapes
Causing a furore among women rights activists in the country, the seer recently said “The entry of women into the famous Shingnapur shrine, which is devoted to Lord Shani, will drive more rapes,” according to a PTI report. The 400-year-old ban on women entering the sanctum sanctorum of the Shani temple in Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar district was lifted by the trust following a High Court order.
Worship of Sai Baba causing drought in Maharashtra
Raising a hue and cry among the followers of Shirdi Sai Baba followers, he said that "the unworthy Sai is being worshipped while the real Gods are ignored. This is happening in Maharashtra and particularly in Shirdi. Hence, Maharashtra is facing drought," a PTI report stated. This statement received a lot of flak, especially from Sai devotees, who termed his statements ‘ridiculous’ and called it a ‘publicity gimmick’.
Entry of women into Shani Shingnapur resulted in Kollam fire tragedy
Connecting two polar opposite events, the religious icon claimed that the Kollam fire tragedy took place only after women were allowed to enter the inner shrine of the Shingnapur temple, reported Amar Ujjala. The Kollam temple tragedy occurred after a fireworks show went amiss in the 500-year-old Puttingal Devi temple’s festival.