Lucknow, Feb. 14 -- Weeks after a row between the Mela administration and Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati during the Magh Mela in Prayagraj, chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday said Shankaracharya is not an ordinary title that everyone can assume. The chief minister was participating in the discussion on the motion of thanks to the Governor's address. "The Shankaracharya tradition is governed by dignity, not by whims and fancies of any person," Adityanath said in the assembly, "The position of Shankaracharya is considered the highest and most sacred in India's Sanatan tradition. It is not an ordinary title that anyone can assume," he said. Replying to the leader of Opposition Mata Prasad Pandey's allegation that "Shankaracharya" was humiliated and his supporters were beaten by the police, the chief minister said, "If the person in question was indeed a Shankaracharya then why, under Samajwadi Party government, was he lathi-charged and an FIR filed against him in Varanasi. Those who talk about morality should first respect tradition and order." Referring to the arrival of 45 million devotees on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya (January 18) at the Magh Mela, the chief minister said that strict security arrangements are necessary on such occasions. "Entry and exit routes are designated, and adherence to them is mandatory for all. Ignoring these rules can lead to stampedes, endangering the lives of devotees. Some persons tried to move toward the ghat with followers through exit gates and they were stopped by the local police," he said. He reiterated that the law is equal for all. "Even the position of chief minister is not above the law. No individual can be above the law." He added that the government believes in the rule of law and it is its responsibility to maintain decorum and order. "A responsible and dignified person would never behave in this manner. We are dignified people and believe in the rule of law. We know how to follow the rule of law and how to enforce it. We know how to enforce both simultaneously, but stop misleading people in its name," he said. "The people know that Adi Shankaracharya established four Peethas in the four directions of the country: Jyotir Peetha in the north, Sringeri in the south, Jagannathpuri in the east, and Dwarkapuri in the west. These four Peethas have their own traditions, responsibilities, and spiritual foundations. These Peethas are associated with the four Vedas: the Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda, and Atharvaveda. Each Veda has its own Mahavakyas: "Prajnanam Brahma," "Aham Brahmasmi," "Tattvamasi," and "Ayamatma Brahma." These Mahavakyas are the soul of Indian philosophy and convey the highest state of spiritual practice. "I am Brahma," any seeker realises this when they reach the pinnacle of their spiritual practice. This is also the proclamation of the Upanishads," he said....