Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand of Uttarakhand’s Jyotish Peeth who raised concern over the Ram Temple consecration event and called the temple incomplete on Sunday reiterated that he is one of the admirers of PM Modi because it is for PM Modi Hindus have become aware of their self-respect. “The truth is PM Modi has made Hindus self-aware which is not a small thing. We have said several times in public that we are not anti-Modi but his admirers. Name another prime minister of India who strengthened Hindus like Modi before. We have had many prime ministers and they all have been good — we are not criticising anyone,” the Shankaracharya said.

Ayodhya Ram Mandir opening ceremony: Full coverage

“When Article 370 was scrapped, didn’t we welcome it? When the Citizenship Amendment act came, didn’t we praise it? Did we obstruct PM Modi’s Swachchta Abhiyaan? We also praised how there was no disruption in the law and order situation after the Supreme Court ruled that Ram Temple will be built at the land,” Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand said. “We are happy whenever Hindus are strengthened and Narendra Modi is doing that work,” the Shankaracharya said.

Sri Sri Ravishankar on Shankaracharya row: ‘Lord Ram did prana pratishta without temple’

A major controversy erupted after the four shankaracharyas — the custodians of Hinduism — said they won’t be attending the event. Swami Avimukteshwaranand said the temple — considered the body of God — is incomplete and hence it is not right to do the pran-pratistha of the new idol there. In the wake of the row which was weaponised by the opposition in questioning the timing of the opening ceremony, some shankaracharyas issued statements that they had no objection to the programme.

Jyotish Peeth Shankaracharya on January 18 wrote a letter to Nritya Gopal Das, chief of the Ram Janmabhoomy Teerth Kshetra, asking what will happen to the existing idol as a new idol was going to be placed at the sanctum sanctoram. “The question is, if this new idol will be placed, what happens to Ram Lalla virajman? So far, Ram bhakts thought that the new temple was being built for Lalla virajman. But now, the news of a new idol in the under-construction sanctorum in the temple precincts has raised doubts whether Ram Lalla viraj will be sidelined/ignored,” the letter written in Hindi said.