ES Reporter 

ITANAGAR, Sep 26: In a dramatic turn of events, Jagadguru Shankaracharya  Avimukteshwaranand  Ji Maharaj  along with his entourage were compelled to return from Donyi Polo Hollongi Airport after members of the All Arunachal Pradesh Students Union (AAPSU) staged a protest against the proposed "Gau Dhwaj Yatra," a campaign advocating for declaring the cow as the “Nation's Mother”.
AAPSU members gathered outside the airport amidst tight security, voicing strong opposition to the campaign. They cautioned the religious leader and his entourage against entering Arunachal Pradesh with the agenda to ban cow slaughter and promote the cow as a national symbol.
Speaking to the media, AAPSU General Secretary Ritum Tali clarified that the protest was not against any religion or religious leader, but rather a stand to protect the indigenous culture and traditions of Arunachal Pradesh. "We welcome all religious leaders to the state, but we oppose any attempt to impose rules that conflict with our customs. For us, the cow is not considered a mother; it is treated like other animals, and we even sacrifice it during rituals and ceremonies as part of our indigenous tradition," Tali stated.
According to ADC Balijan, the Jagadguru Shankaracharya's team arrived in a white chartered plane around 9:30 a.m. However, due to the protest and in consideration of the situation, the administration requested the religious leader to reconsider the 'Gau Dhwaj Yatra'. In response to the request, the seer cancelled the scheduled event and departed from the airport around 11:30 a.m.
"We informed the Shankaracharya that, as a religious leader, he is always welcome in the state, but his campaign, 'Gau Dhwaj Yatra,' does not align with the sentiments of the people of Arunachal Pradesh," ADC Balijan stated.
Meanwhile, representatives of Jagadguru Shankaracharya claimed that the 'Gau Dhwaj Yatra' was successfully conducted in Itanagar. However, they acknowledged that the administration did not permit them to proceed beyond the airport for their scheduled program.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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