A monk and saint’s self-respect is their nation, Yogi Adityanath’s big statement amid Shankaracharya Avimukteshwarananda controversy

By Samira Vishwas On Jan 23, 2026

New Delhi. Amidst the ongoing controversy surrounding Shankaracharya Avimukteshwarananda at the ongoing Magh Mela in Prayagraj, UP CM Yogi Adityanath has made a significant statement. During a program in Haryana, the UP CM said that for a yogi, sanyasi, and saint, nothing can be greater than religion and the nation. This should be the aim of his life. He has no personal property; religion is his property, and the nation is his self-respect. If someone challenges national self-respect, we should openly stand up to counter his challenge. He said that we must be cautious of those who conspire to weaken Sanatan Dharma under the guise of religion.

VIDEO | Sonipat: Need to be vigilant against those trying to weaken Sanatan Dharma, said Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath while attending the idol consecration ceremony and participated in a grand community feast organized for eight thousand people. pic.twitter.com/i2nqnPqDYm
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) January 22, 2026

Yogi Adityanath also said that the conspiracy to change the demography, the mischief being done with our daughters in the name of love jihad, will be strictly stopped. We will make families aware, inculcate good values and through cultured families, we will also contribute in the campaign to build a strong nation and our saints, conscious people of the society will have to move forward in this campaign. It starts with the campaign against drugs, drugs are the cause of destruction. It makes the entire generation hollow, destroys the ability to think and understand, and inspires them to commit many sins. We need to run a campaign against it. The drugs coming from across the border are the result of the conspiracy of the enemies of the country.

There is a conspiracy to change the demography, our daughters are being played with in the name of love jihad…
We will stop this… pic.twitter.com/QFyHvLvx4I
— Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) January 22, 2026

While attending the idol consecration ceremony in Sonipat, Yogi said that within India’s spiritual and cultural heritage of Sanatan Dharma, the Nath sect is one of India’s oldest forms of worship. It has always provided a new inspiration for the values and ways of life. It has inspired society to connect with it and move forward together. This is why, wherever you go in India, you will see a long lineage of Nath Siddhas and Yogis, their monasteries, their temples, and their Dhunas. These religious sites, spread from north to south and east to west, also represent the Nath sect’s commitment to Sanatan Dharma, its values, and ideals.