Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) [India], June 28 (ANI): Ahead of the upcoming Bihar elections, Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati Maharaj on Saturday stated that the Sanatanis (followers of Sanatan Dharma) have decided to vote only for parties or candidates who stand for the protection and welfare of cows.

'Be it any election, we, the Sanatanis, have decided that we will vote for only that party or candidate who will stand for the cow. But no party stands for cows. So, instead of voting for any particular party, we'll vote for only that candidate who will stand for cows. We will do the same in the Bihar elections too. We have said that one candidate per Assembly constituency will stand for cows and we will issue a list too...' Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati Maharaj said.

Speaking about the placement of boards on shops during the Kanwar Yatra, the Shankaracharya expressed his views on the religious significance of such practices. He emphasised that any individual willing to follow the dharma and take 'diksha' (initiation) for rituals should be allowed to undertake the Kanwar Yatra.

He also addressed concerns about the practice of selling raw materials during the yatra, stating that, as per 'dharma shashtra', the purchase of raw materials is not considered unholy.

'We were asked our views on putting up boards (mentioning details of shopkeeper/staff) on shops during Kanwar Yatra last year...I said that if you ask me from a religious point of view, I would like to say that any individual who is willing to follow dharma, who takes 'diksha' for any ritual that they would undertake the Kanwar Yatra, they adopt some rules - that they would go barefoot, consume just fruits, have just one meal a day, wear just a particular set of clothes, follow celibacy, not lie and so on. There is a rule for sacred food too, which says that there is no provision for buying cooked food in Sanatan Dharma; this is a Western culture where we buy cooked food. In our culture, cooked food is neither sold nor purchased. Raw material can be bought and sold. Purchasing raw material from anyone has not been considered unholy in our 'dharma shastra',' he added.

Meanwhile, Bihar elections are expected to be held later this year in October or November; however, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has not announced an official date.

Months ahead of the elections, the battle has been intensifying between the grand alliance, Mahagathbandhan, led by the RJD and Congress, and the ruling NDA, which includes the BJP, JDU, LJP (Ram Vilas), and HAM. (ANI)