Jyotirmath Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwarananda Saraswati on Saturday ‘excommunicated’ Congress MP Rahul Gandhi from the Hindu fold. He said the leader of opposition’s remarks on Manusmriti in Parliament had “insulted Sanatan Dharma” and that the Congress leader had failed to respond to requests for clarification sent three months ago.

Official reason cited

Announcing the Shankaracharya Ashram in Badrinath, Swami Avimukteshwarananda said he waited for three months for a reply after Gandhi claimed during a speech in Parliament that Manusmriti “protects rapists”. The Shankaracharya said a reminder was also sent, but there was no response.

“During his speech, Gandhi first targeted members of the ruling party and then made remarks against Manusmriti. It is our holy book,” Swami Avimukteshwarananda said. Pointing to the treasury benches, Gandhi had said it was written in “your book”, which meant he did not consider himself a Hindu, says Swami Avimukteshwarananda.

According to the Jyotirmath Shankaracharya, a person who does not consider the Manusmriti his scripture cannot be a Hindu. The Shankaracharya said Gandhi was working against Hinduism. “We have decided that he should be barred from entering temples and priests should not perform puja for him,” he said.

U-turn by Shankaracharya of Jyotirmath

The Jyotirmath Shankaracharya had supported Gandhi’s remarks in the Lok Sabha last year, outraging many followers of the faith. In his first speech in Parliament as the leader of the opposition, the Congress MP had accused BJP leaders of dividing people on communal lines during the debate on the motion of thanks to the President’s address.

In response, Prime Minister Modi claimed Gandhi had described the “entire Hindu community as violent”. To this, Rahul Gandhi replied, “Narendra Modi Ji is not the entire Hindu community. BJP is not the entire Hindu community. RSS is not the entire Hindu community.”

Swami Avimukteshwarananda had at the time insisted that Gandhi’s speech did not denounce Hinduism. “We heard Rahul Gandhi’s entire speech. He is clearly saying that there is no place for violence in Hinduism. There is nothing wrong with it,” he had said.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, the Shankaracharya of Jyotirmath said that the sanctity of pilgrimage sites must be protected and only followers of Sanatan Dharma should undertake the Char Dham Yatra. “People should not come for fun. If they come with a pure heart, they will get spiritual benefits. Non-believers should be prevented from entering the Char Dhams,” he said.

Political significance of the announcement and 4 speculative reasons (Editor’s note)

First, Jyotirmath Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwarananda is considered politically close to opposition parties. Not only was he seen sharing the stage with Samajwadi Party’s Akhilesh Yadav and Congress’s Rahul Gandhi from time to time, but in Maharashtra, he openly supported the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction) of the Maha Vikas Aghadi.

Furthermore, many media houses ideologically opposed to the BJP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh often quote Swami Avimukteshwarananda to make the said party, person and organisation uncomfortable.

However, siding with the opposition and the section of the media friendly to it might not have paid the holy man pecuniary benefits.

Second, while the political history of the said Shankaracharya makes Rahul Gandhi’s expulsion from the Hindu fold by Swami Avimukteshvarananda a big deal, the ruling party, as seen over the past 11 years in state as well as central politics, might have wooed him over with a deal that was too good to resist.

Nevertheless, without evidence of the BJP or the prime minister actively wooing this Shankaracharya on their side, the idea remains a plausible theory but leans heavily on speculation. The Shankaracharya’s expulsion of Gandhi likely reflects a mix of political strategy and religious posturing, with Hindu offence playing a non-negligible role despite his political history. Whether the BJP orchestrated this or simply benefits from it is an open question, but the latter seems more likely given current information.

Third, some notable Hindu heads, like Swami Govindanand Giri Maharaj, have labelled him a “fake Shankaracharya”, questioning his legitimacy to issue decrees. This undermines the observation’s premise that the expulsion is universally significant within Hindu religious circles. At the same time, Gandhi’s remarks on Manusmriti—claiming it “protects rapists”—were outrageous and could genuinely offend traditionalists, including those not aligned with the BJP. This risked the credibility of Jyotirmath Shankaracharya himself, and so he had to reassert his Hindu authority.

Fourth, Swami Avimukteshwarananda’s justification, comparing criticism of Manusmriti to criticising the Quran or Bible, suggests a doctrinal stance that may not be purely political. Hinduism lacks a centralised authority like the Vatican, so excommunication is largely symbolic. The Shankaracharya’s call to ban Gandhi from temples and deny him priestly services may not be enforceable, as temple access is often decentralised. However, the symbolic damage—reinforcing perceptions of Gandhi’s disconnect from Hindu tradition—could be politically costly. And no one doubts Jyotirmath Shankaracharya understands politics pretty well.