"Criticising Manusmriti": Jyotirmath Shankaracharya On Why Rahul Gandhi's Expulsion From Hinduism
New Delhi: Recently Jyotirmath Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwarananda Saraswati ‘excommunicated’ Congress leader Rahul Gandhi from Hinduism, stating that the politician’s remarks on Manusmriti ‘insulted Sanatan Dharma’. Justifying his stand, Shankaracharya on Tuesday asked how he can be considered a Hindu if he criticises Manusmriti, while drawing parallels with other religions.
“If someone claims to be a Muslim but criticises the Quran, would they be called a Muslim? If people say they are Christian but criticize the Bible, would they still be considered one? “, Avimukteshwarananda asked in a video shared by news agency ANI. Similarly, he further pointed out that the one who criticises Manusmriti cannot call himself a Hindu.
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#WATCH | On Rahul Gandhi’s statement, Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati says, “How can you be a Hindu if you criticise Manusmṛti?…Any Sanatan Dharma follower will object to this.”
On the Pahalgam terror attack, he says, ” The government should ensure that the… pic.twitter.com/GTNT7gMtiS
— ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2025
Announcing Rahul Gandhi’s ouster from Hinduism, Avimukteshwarananda last week said that the former’s remarks regarding Manusmriti in Parliament in December last year were offensive to the faith.
He also claimed that he sent a letter seeking clarification from the Rai Bareilly MP, but had received no response, and left with no option other than ousting the politician from the religion.
Targeting the BJP-RSS in December last year, Rahul Gandhi said that Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar considered ‘Manusmriti,’ a religious book, superior to the Constitution. He also pointed out Savarkar’s remark that there was nothing Indian about the country’s current Constitution.
“Manusmriti is the scripture most worshipable after the Vedas of our Hindu nation… For centuries, this book has codified our nation’s spiritual and divine march. Today, Manusmriti is law,” Rahul Gandhi quoted Savarkar while seeking to know if the BJP is in support of its leader’s ideas.
“I want to ask the BJP if you support your leader’s words. Because when you speak in Parliament about protecting the Constitution, you are ridiculing Savarkar, abusing Savarkar, and defaming Savarkar,” Rahul Gandhi said.
