A video compilation featuring Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera and Swami Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand is being widely shared on social media. It’s claimed that Khera initially praised the Hindu seer but later turned against him after Avimukteshwaranand allegedly called Congress leader Rahul Gandhi a “non-Hindu”.
A Facebook user posted the viral post with the following caption:
कांग्रेस प्रवक्ता पवन खेड़ा अब शंकराचार्य को सनातन का सिरमौर और संत शिरोमणि बता रहा है…. 😃
इसी वीडियो मे 4 दिन पहले का इनका बयान सुनिए जब इन्ही शंकराचार्य को कह रहा था.. कौन शंकराचार्य..? आप कौन हो.?
आपकी औकात क्या है.?.
बेशर्म हो…बेहया है.. निर्लज्ज हैँ.. घमंडी हैँ…..
विनाश काले विपरीत बुद्धि..😃😄😛
Congress spokesperson Pawan Kheda is now calling Shankaracharya the Sirmaur of Sanatan and Saint Shiromani…. 😃
Listen to his statement from 4 days ago in this video when he was telling Shankaracharya.. Who is Shankaracharya..? Who are you.?
What is your status.?.
Be shameless… This is a bride.. Shameless are you.. I am arrogant…..
Destruction black opposite intelligence.. 😃😄😛
You can check the post here.
NM VERIFIED
NewsMobile checked the viral post and found the claims to be false.
To verify the claim, NewsMobile examined each clip in the viral compilation separately.
First Clip: Searching with relevant keywords, we found Pawan Khera’s press briefing, dated January 20, uploaded on the Congress party’s official YouTube channel. The press conference addressed a controversy involving Swami Avimukteshwaranand, who accused the UP government of preventing him from taking a Mauni Amavasya holy dip at Prayagraj on January 18.
A review of the full video shows that the viral clip was stitched together from two different moments of the same press conference.
At 3:55 minutes, Khera refers to Avimukteshwaranand as a prominent leader of Sanatan Dharma. At 7:06 minutes, Khera states that the seer was merely asking to perform the ritual bath according to Sanatan tradition.
Khera further questioned whether any Hindu, including a Shankaracharya, should require permission from the chief minister to bathe in the Ganga.
Second Clip: A Reverse Image Search of screenshots from the second clip identifies a Network18 interview of Swami Avimukteshwaranand, dated January 15.
In the interview, around the 8:30-minute mark, the journalist asks the seer about Rahul Gandhi possibly visiting the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. At approximately 9 minutes, the Shankaracharya states that Gandhi should not be allowed to enter the temple, claiming it is a religious site meant exclusively for Hindus.
Third Clip: A closer review detects the same press conference held on January 20.
From 2:19 minutes onwards, Khera criticises the UP government, stating that the seer had been protesting for 48 hours in harsh conditions without food or water. He alleges that a midnight notice from the state government questioned Avimukteshwaranand’s legitimacy as a Shankaracharya, which he described as administrative arrogance. Around 4:13-minute mark, Khera questions the authorities, asking, “Who are you and what is your status?” — the same statement heard in the viral video.
Therefore, we can conclusively say that the viral post, claiming to show Khera initially praising the Hindu seer but later blaming him after Avimukteshwaranand allegedly called Congress leader Rahul Gandhi a “non-Hindu”, is false.
