Exercise caution while talking of Narendra Giri's death: VHP to seers

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad has appealed to the seer community to "exercise caution" while giving statements related to the death of Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad's head Narendra Giri's death in Prayagraj recently.

Giri, 72, was reportedly found hanging in his room of the Prayagraj-based mutt. The president of the Parishad that has 28 representatives from 13 akharas (Hindu monasteries-cum-ashrams of saints and sadhus), Giri was also in touch with many politically powerful people.

VHP working president Alok Kumar said what happened was unfortunate but it was important for the sadhu community to not make remarks that can complicate matters. "He was a learned man, and the loss is grave for all of us. This is not the time to give statements without caution. The role of the parishad in working of akharas and kumbh melas is significant," Kumar said, adding that the probe should be given time for completion and airing speculations during such time was not right.


Giri's Niranjani Akhara rejected the suicide note and had called it fake. Chief patron of Juna Akhara and general secretary of the parishad, Mahant Hari Giri, said the ABAP was looking at internal issues that could have led the mahant to take a drastic step.

Some others such as former Union minister Chinmayanad and BJP MP Pragya Thakur called it a murder, while other seers have alleged land disputes, links with builder lobbies and unregulated financial transactions with lease and sale of land were possible reasons for Mahant Giri's death.

Many seers such as Acharya Maha Mandaleshwar of Shri Panchayati Akhara Niranjani, Kailashanand Giri have also dismissed note allegedly written by Giri and called it a conspiracy.