Fact Check: …If Modi-Yogi would have been in jail! Has Shankaracharya of Puri Peeth really said this?

New Delhi: Shankaracharya Swami Nischalanand Saraswati ji of Puri Peeth is known for his/her fearless statements. he/she has expressed his/her opinion without hesitation on many occasions, in very harsh and blunt words. his/her statements have also been going viral on social media. For the last two-three days, a statement is being shared on social media linking it to Swami Nischalanand Saraswati ji. It is being claimed that Shankaracharya of Puri has said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath would have been in jail right now, but the justice system in the country is weak. Let us try to know whether this statement is really from Shankaracharya or whether false claims are being made on social media?

What is the claim?

A statement quoting Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati of Puri Peeth in Odisha is being shared on social media platforms. The post reads, ‘If there was a strong justice system in India, Prime Minister Modi and Yogi Adityanath would have been in jail.’ Journo Mirror has written this statement below by placing the picture of Puri Shankaracharya in between the pictures of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and CM Yogi Adityanath. At the end of this graphics it is written, ‘Shankaracharya Nischalananda Saraswati.’ These graphics are being shared on social media from different handles. Everyone has shared this statement of Shankaracharya with different comments.

What is the truth?

When we started investigating this claim, we found a post by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy. Swami reposted the post of ex-user Harsh Tiwari and wrote – Fearless Jagatguru. What Harsh Tiwari has written in English by putting the picture of Puri Shankaracharya in his/her post means, ‘If the justice system of the country was strong, Modi and Yogi would have been in jail.’

After receiving this X post of Subramanian Swamy, we investigated further and came across a news from four days ago. This is on Dainik Bhaskar’s website news It has been published with the heading – ‘Had there been a healthy justice system, Modi-Yogi would have been in jail’: Shankaracharya Nischalanand Saraswati said in Ujjain – A terrorist was made Shankaracharya.

What did Shankaracharya say?

There is a video attached in the thumbnail of this news. In this video, Shankaracharya is saying, ‘I was on a visit to Gujarat, he/she (Narendra Modi) was the Chief Minister. A terrorist was roaming around posing as Shankaracharya. A person from Puri was the Superintendent of Police (SP). Wanted to put that terrorist in jail. Modi ji was the Chief Minister, he/she did not allow them to be put in jail. Modi ji is a full supporter of terrorism. A terrorist is being made to roam around the country and abroad by posing as Shankaracharya. Is this the responsibility of the Chief Minister and the Prime Minister? Then he/she says, ‘If India had a healthy judiciary, it would have put Yogi and Modi in jail.’ As soon as Shankaracharya said this, thunderous applause was heard. Meanwhile Shankaracharya says, ‘What could be a greater crime than this?’ Applause continues and Shankaracharya further says, ‘There is no government system or judiciary in India that can punish Modi-Yogi who have made a terrorist a Shankaracharya.’

conclusion

It is completely true that Puri Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati, during a conversation in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, had said that PM Modi and UP CM Adityanath should be in jail and had said that there is no healthy judiciary in the country. Shankaracharya has said this in anger towards the then Gujarat CM Narendra Modi for not allowing another Shankaracharya to be sent to jail. Puri Shankaracharya still openly says about another Shankaracharya that he/she is a terrorist who should be put in jail, but Modi-Yogi are taking him/her around the country and the world. In this context, Swami Nischalanand Saraswati has called Modi-Yogi guilty of crime and said that they should be in jail.