Shillong: Jagadguru Shankaracharya Swami Shri Avimukteshwaranand Saraswat, who was denied entry to land in Shillong airport, to launch his cow protection rally, symbolically hoisted the Gowpratishtha (cow) flag over the skies of Meghalaya on Saturday.
The Airport Authority of India (AAI) denied permission landing of a chartered flight carrying Shankaracharya and his entourage at Shillong airport after the Meghalaya government asked AAI not to allow landing permission to the Hindu monk and his followers at the airport.
Shankaracharya was supposed to launch ‘Gau Dhwaj Sthapana Bharat Yatra’ and hoist the cow flag in Meghalaya’s capital Shillong to elevate the cow to the status of ‘Rashtra Mata’ (Mother of the Nation).
“Shankaracharyaji Maharaj hoisted the Gowpratishtha (cow) flag as soon as he touched the skies over Meghalaya, as per his resolution and determination. In other states, we could only fly the flag at 21 feet, but in Meghalaya, you gave us the opportunity to fly the flag at 21,000 meters,” the cow protection group said in a press statement.
The Hindu spiritual leader thanked the Meghalaya government and the people who were protesting against his vow protection mission for giving them opportunity to hoist the cow flag at 21,000 meters over the skies of Meghalaya.
Announcing that he would approach the Supreme Court against Meghalaya goverment and the AAI or denying permission to land at Shillong airport, the cow protection group said, “We will soon make our program of coming to Meghalaya public, we will definitely come, communicate with our people and discuss the message of Gaupratishtha with every sensitive person of Meghalaya.”
Earlier, members of several pressure groups, including Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) activists, gathered outside at the Shillong airport in anticipation of the Hindu spiritual leader’s proposed anti-cow slaughter rally in the state capital to demand declaration of the cow as the mother of the nation and to enact a central law to stop cow slaughter.
The Meghalaya government had said that it won’t allow Shankaracharya and his entourage to launch the cow protection rally in the state as the rally may lead to break down of law and order in the city of Shillong.
“Shankaracharya and his followers won’t be allowed to come out of the airport even if he lands,” Jagpal Singh Dhanoa, the district police chief of Ri-Bhoi, said.
District administrations of both East Khasi Hills and Ri Bhoi have also promulgated section 163 of the BNSS prohibiting holding of such cow protection rallies in the respective districts.