Saint, mahatma or yogi can ever be slave of power: Yogi Adityanath

Chandauli: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Sunday that no "saint, mahatma or yogi can ever be a slave of power", rather he inspires the society to follow in his footsteps.

He was addressing the 425th 'Avtaran Samaroh' organised here at the birthplace of Aghoracharya Baba Keenaram. The chief minister paid his obeisance to the saint on the occasion.

"No saint, mahatma or yogi can ever be a slave of power. Rather, he inspires the society to follow in his footsteps," the chief minister said, according to an official statement issued here.

He said Saint Keenaram was born in an aristocratic family and "attained siddhi through meditation".

"It often happens after attaining siddhi that a person becomes arrogant and does not see anything, does not understand anyone. But, Baba used his meditation and siddhi for the welfare of the nation and the people," the chief minister said.

He said Baba Keenaram worked to unite the Dalit, tribals and various sections of society. "He awakened the spirit of a society without discrimination, which was possible only through a saint, Aghoracharya or yogi," Adityanath said.

The chief minister said though Baba Keenaram was born in a high aristocratic family, he ran several programmes to improve the lives of a large number of tribes and residents here. "On the other hand, to teach a lesson to the Mughals, he also scolded Shah Jahan and drove him away. He reprimanded the government of that time." These things show that a saint and a yogi can never be a slave of power, the chief minister said.

Many prominent people including Aghoracharya Baba Siddharth Gautam Ram, former Union Minister and former MP of Chandauli Mahendra Nath Pandey were present at the event.