Don’t treat idol as a criminal, says Shankaracharya

Jalgaon: The Shankarachrya of Karveer Peeth, H. H. Vidyanrusinh Bharati said that it is wrong on the part of the Government to confiscate the idol of Sree Krushna and keep it in police custody. He was talking to the media persons in a press conference organized on the occasion of ‘Vishaal Hindu Melawa (Huge gathering of Hindus)’.

A ceremony to install an idol of Sree Krushna in the famous Saint Dnyaneshwar temple in Jalgaon was being performed in the year 2004; but a complaint was lodged by ‘Sadvichar Trust’ from Thane, Maharashtra that the idol sculpted by artists from Jaipur resembles the idol installed by them. The Government had taken initiative in this case and taken possession of the idol and kept it first in the police custody and later in the custody of the Court.

In the above background, H. H. Shankaracharya told in the press conference that it was wrong to apply ‘Copyright Act’ to an idol. To keep an idol in custody is like treating that deity like a criminal. The Government should protect the religious freedom of Hindus. It is denigration of our deity to keep her in confinement. This should be immediately stopped. He assured that he would look into the matter.

Source: ‘Dainik Sanatan Prabhat’