Mumbai | Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati, the Shankaracharya of the Jyotish Peeth in Uttarakhand, who turned down the invitation to the Ram temple consecration ceremony in Ayodhya, on Monday said Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray is a victim of betrayal.

On Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his blessings when they met at the ‘Shubh Ashirwad’ ceremony of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant in Mumbai on Saturday, the Shankaracharya said he is Modi’s well-wisher.

“Yes, PM Modi came to me and did a 'pranaam'. It is our rule that we will bless whoever comes to us. Narendra Modi ji is not our enemy. We are his well-wishers and always speak for his welfare. If he makes a mistake, we also point that out to him. He is not our enemy,” he said.

“Uddhav Thackeray has been betrayed and many people are anguished by it. I met him today as per his request and told him that people's pain won't subside till he becomes the chief minister again,” he told reporters after meeting Thackeray at the latter's residence Matoshree in Bandra.

He (Uddhav) said he will do whatever was needed as per our blessings, Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati said.

Betrayal is the biggest sin, he said, adding, "The one who betrays can't be a Hindu. The one who tolerates betrayal is a Hindu.

“The entire populace of Maharashtra is anguished by the betrayal and this was reflected in the recent (Lok Sabha) elections," he said.

“We don't have anything to do with politics, but we are talking about betrayal which is a sin as per religion," he added.

Uddhav Thackeray had to resign as Maharashtra chief minister in June 2022 after Eknath Shinde rebelled, walking out with a majority of the Shiv Sena MLAs with him to become the CM by forming the government in alliance with the BJP.

On the laying of a foundation stone of a Kedarnath temple in New Delhi on July 10 by Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, the seer said, When the address for Kedarnath is in the Himalayas, how can it be in Delhi? Why are you confusing the people?

The Shankaracharya also attended a puja ceremony at Matoshree bungalow.