"No individual can be above law": UP CM Yogi on Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati row, cites past "lathicharge" to question opposition

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], February 13 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday responded to the ongoing controversy involving Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati and the Magh Mela administration, asserting that "no individual can be above the law."
He targeted the Samajwadi Party (SP) for their current support of the seer and questioned their morality by citing a 2015 incident in Varanasi. He asked why the then-SP government had ordered a lathi charge and lodged an FIR against Swami Avimukteshwaranand if they truly respected him as a Shankaracharya.
Adressing the UP Assembly budget session, the Chief Minister emphasised that every citizen must respect India's constitutional framework.
"Not every person can write as a Shankaracharya, nor can they go around as the Acharya of every Peeth and spoil the atmosphere wherever they go," the CM said.
He emphasised that people are governed by the Constitution, not by personal authority. "No individual can be above the law. We are people connected to the constitutional system of India, and I believe that every citizen of India should respect the law", he stated.
"Wherever 45 million devotees have gathered, the exit gate from which devotees are exiting after bathing, there is no way for anyone to exit from that gate, that pontoon, that route, because if someone tries to enter through it, it gives rise to a new stampede, it endangers the lives of devotees", he said, adding that a responsible and dignified person would never behave like this.
Targeting the socialist movement, Adityanath stated that it had deviated from its founding principles. "The socialism that once called for sacrifice, struggle and moral ideals has today become a ladder for dynasty politics, opportunism and building private empires," CM Yogi said.
In a pointed remark, he added that "even a chameleon would repent today, thinking that these socialists have surpassed even me," accusing opposition leaders of frequently shifting positions for political gain. He also described the condition of the Samajwadi Party as that of a "koopmandook" (frog in the well), suggesting a narrow outlook.
Defending his government's performance, Adityanath highlighted Uttar Pradesh's progress in industrialisation and social welfare. He said the state's first electric vehicle manufacturing unit has already begun operations, marking a step toward green mobility and industrial growth.
He mentioned that Jewar airport has been completed, highlighting that it's the 5th international airport in Uttar Pradesh, taking up 12,000 acres of land.
He also highlighted improvements in educational infrastructure, noting that children from underprivileged backgrounds are now studying in world-class facilities at Atal Residential Schools.
To promote self-reliance among youth, he cited the CM Yuva Udyami Yojana, under which 1.1 lakh young entrepreneurs have received interest-free, guarantee-free loans, along with 10 per cent margin money support.
On social welfare, the Chief Minister said that 1.06 crore destitute women, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities in Uttar Pradesh are currently receiving an annual pension of ₹12,000, adding that the amount will soon be increased as budgetary provisions have already been made.
Asserting a transformation in the state's image, Adityanath declared that Uttar Pradesh is no longer a "BIMARU" state, a term he said was used to describe economically lagging states. Instead, he said, the state now represents "Triple-T: Technology, Trust and Transformation."
"UP is now carving out a new identity for itself as a role model for Trust, Transformation, and Timely Delivery," he said, projecting the state as an emerging economic and governance model.
Furthermore, CM Yogi stated that the government's welfare schemes, based on NITI Aayog data, have successfully lifted 6 crore people out of the "extreme poverty" line over the past 8 years.
"This does not mean they should be deprived of other plans. They will continue to get the benefits of ration, health, and all other administrative facilities," the CM stated.
The Budget Session is scheduled to run from February 9 to February 20, with the state budget for the 2026-27 financial year to be presented on February 11. (ANI)