Fasting Matra Sadan seer taken to AIIMS forcefully

Tribune News Service

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Haridwar, March 1

Officials of the district administration and the police last night forcefully took away fasting Brahmachari Atmabodhanand to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Rishikesh.

Atmabodhanand has been on an indefinite fast at the Matra Sadan ashram in protest against quarrying.

Baffled by the action, Matra Sadan ashram founder Swami Shivanand started a fast on the ashram premises today.

He vowed not to take even water till the administration officials brought his disciple Atmabodhanand back to the ashram.

Atmabodhanand, Swami Shivanand, Brahmachari Dayanand and other ashram inmates opposed the administration’s action. The team led by Additional District Magistrate Jeevan Singh Nangiyal, Sub-Divisional Magistrate Pratyush Singh and SP (City) Navneet Singh Bhullar cited the deteriorating health of the agitating saint as the reason behind the action.

Earlier, Brahmachari Atmabodhanad locked himself in a room to avoid being taken away.

Swami Shivanand, while addressing mediapersons at the Matra Sadan ashram, alleged that the administration took the action to suppress the voice of ashram activists against illegal quarrying. He said Atmabodhanad’s health was fine, contrary to what the administration has claimed.

He accused Chief Minister Harish Rawat and the district administration of siding with the quarrying mafia. Swami Shivanand expressed surprise over the late-night action. “A conspiracy is being hatched by the quarrying mafia and politicians against Matra Sadan. In 2011, another disciple, late Swami Nigmanand was observing a fast when he was taken away from the ashram to a government hospital in name of health check-up. He was later taken to the Jolly Grant hospital where he was poisoned. I am concerned about the safety of Brahmachari Atmabodhanand so will not intake even water during my tapasya,” he added.

Meanwhile, SP Navneet Singh Bhullar said the seer, who had been agitating for three weeks, was admitted to AIIMS because ashram inmates were not allowing doctors to carry out his routine health check-up.