Indira Gandhi married a Parsi, but never converted:Shankaracharya Swaroopanand Saraswati

Wednesday, April 20, 2016 - 17:33

Haridwar: Dwaraka Sharda Peeth Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati, heaped praise on former prime minister Indira Gandhi, saying that she fell in love with a Parsi and married him, but didn't convert to that particular religion.

While praising Indira Gandhi, the 94-year-old seer said, the ex-PM always worshipped devi devtas and never adopted foreign culture, a report published in Amar Ujala said.

He also said that the Nehru family sacrificed lives while working for the country.

Jagat Guru Shankacharya Shri Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati Ji at Bhairav Temple Saharanpur

Jagat Guru Shankacharya Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati Ji at Bhairav Temple Saharanpur on 7-Apr-2016

Opinions on Shirdi Sai Baba

Swami Swaroopanand in July 2014 caused controversy due to his remarks against Indian guru Shirdi Sai Baba and his followers. After government minister Uma Bharti publicly claimed devotion to Shirdi Sai Baba, Swaroopanand demanded an apology from her and wrote that "there is no mention of Sai Baba in the Shastras and the Vedas” so he “should not be worshiped with Hindu gods. He was not god, he was just a Muslim Fakir" (referring to Shirdi Sai Baba's Muslim origins). He also said that Shirdi Sai Baba was one "who used to eat meat and worship Allah, a man like that can never be a Hindu god", that he "used to refrain from taking a dip in the river Ganga and asked people to keep him away from Ganga", that "worshiping Sai Baba was part of a conspiracy hatched by people to divide Hindus as the saint was not a God but a human being", that "followers of Sai Baba should not worship Lord Rama", and that "Sai Baba used to say Sabka Malik Ek (god is one for all). If so, why do the Buddhists and Jains worship separate gods?" while acknowledging Shirdi Sai Baba as a great man. He also mobilised the Naga sadhus in enforcing his order that Sai devotees should not be allowed to worship Rama or bathe in the Ganga.

Opinions on ISKCON

Swami Swaroopanand in February 2016 questioned the claim of ISKCON to be a part of Sanatana Dharma and accused it to be a front for money-laundering, it being used to send money from India to USA and other foreign countries. Money donated by Indians were being shunted to the USA. He questioned the growing number of their temples in India and said that if they were sincere they should have built them in Assam and Chattisgarh which had fewer temples. Their aim was not religion or spirituality but something else, he claimed.

Opinions on youth and spirituality

Swami Swaroopanand in March 2016 said, "There is an increasing feeling of `detachment from faith’ among the Hindu youths as compared to those of other religions. There is a need to include Hindu scriptures in the curriculum of schools and colleges to prevent the long-term mental degeneration of Hindus due to influence from anti-Hindu propaganda that has its clutches deep into almost every socio-cultural sphere of India. While `they’ have their religious schools to spread fundamentalism, terrorism and hate preaching, we don’t have a medium to reach out the Hindu youth about the richness and greatness of our scriptures and cultural values. It's the central government’s responsibility to ensure the traditions of this nation are preserved."

Opinions On women worshipping Shani

When feminists tried to enter the sanctum of Shani Shingnapur temple, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, in January 2016, Swami Swaroopanand stated, "Shani is a kroor (cruel) graha, hence women should beware of worshiping the deity. Since the effect of Shani is harmful for women, they should be away from the deity.". Swami Swaroopanand even went on to saying that the entry of women into Shani Shingnapur temple will lead to more rapes.