Zee Media Bureau/Manisha Singh
Jabalpur: It was a routine question pertaining to Narendra Modi that a journalist asked Jagatguru Shankaracharya Swami Sri Swaroopanand Saraswati Ji Maharaj. A slap on the face is the last thing he would have expected. But that is exactly that he got.
In a bizarre incident, the Shankaracharya slapped a reporter on Thursday just because he asked him as to what he thought about Modi as the next PM of India. He also snubbed the reporter saying that he was asking a useless question.
“I do not want to talk about politics,” Swami Swaroopanand told the reporter. He was here to attend a religious function.
The whole incident was caught on the camera. Later, reacting to the episode, Swaroopanand Saraswati clarified that he had slapped the journalist as he kept on asking about Modi. He also said that there was an attempt to keep Modi in news by certain quarters by all a means, whether positive or negative.
It has been said that the decision to project a PM candidate by the BJP has not gone down well with the swami. He has commented in the past that the prime minister should be elected by MPs.
The Shankaracharya of Dwarka is reportedly close to the Congress and has made adverse comments regarding the Gujarat CM in the past.
Meanwhile, as per reports, state Congress leader Mayan Aggarwal was quoted as saying that religious leaders should not be asked political questions. He also defended the the swami saying that he had slapped the reporter lovingly and that the media had blown the matter out of proportion."
However, the state unit of BJP Hitesh Bajpai was reported as saying that religious leaders should be an example of forgiveness and questions from media should not be brushed aside.
Swami Swaroopananda inherited the title of Shankaracharya of Dwarka in 1982.
Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, was declared BJP`s prime ministerial candidate for 2014 General Elections in September last year. The announcement was made in the national capital by the party president, Rajnath Singh.
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.