Kalraj slams heckling of seer’s disciples

Lucknow: After deputy CM Brajesh Pathak, BJP veteran and former Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra has expressed displeasure over the alleged heckling of Batuk Brahmins (disciples) of Swami Avimukteshwaranand, the Shankaracharya of Jyotish Peeth, by police during the Magh Mela in Prayagraj last month.Mishra, 84, said police should have exercised restraint and consulted the Shankaracharya before taking action.
"What happened in Prayagraj should not have happened. Seers and their disciples should be respected," Mishra said.His remarks are being seen as a fresh assertion of the Brahmin leadership within the saffron camp at a time when the BJP is stepping up efforts to consolidate upper-caste support ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.Political observers said sections of the Brahmin lobby within the party want to signal that state govt must remain sensitive to upper-caste concerns, particularly given their traditional role as part of the BJP's organisational backbone.Mishra also criticised the recent UGC equity regulations — currently stayed by the Supreme Court — terming them "discriminatory, dangerous. and "unconstitutional".Last year, he had constituted the Vishwa Brahmin Kalyan Parishad to bring together members of the community, which has supported the BJP since the Ram Temple movement.