A video from 2023 showing a roadside interaction between Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and spiritual leader Aniruddhacharya Maharaj has resurfaced and gone viral on social media.

The clip captures the moment when the two met on an expressway, as Aniruddhacharya was walking back from Agra and Yadav happened to be travelling along the same route.

Akhilesh Yadav, who was passing by, stopped and questioned the spiritual leader’s use of the term ‘Shudra’.

In the video, Yadav asks, “What did Krishna’s mother first call him?” Aniruddhacharya responds, “She called him Kanhaiya.” Yadav then replies, “Okay, this is where our path and yours diverge. From now on, don’t use the word ‘Shudra’ again.”

After the video resurfaced, Aniruddhacharya Maharaj, popularly known as “Pookie Baba” on social media, addressed the incident during a religious sermon. He questioned whether Akhilesh Yadav would have made a similar statement to someone from another religion.

“I want to ask Akhilesh Yadav, can he say the same thing to a Muslim – that our path and your path are different?” he said.

He further said, “You have served as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. If a leader thinks this way, it reflects on the direction of the state.” He claimed he made no objectionable remarks during the interaction and stated that it was Akhilesh Yadav who brought up the issue of the term ‘Shudra’ on his own.

The brief interaction has sparked widespread discussion online, with supporters and critics from both sides weighing in. The remark “our path and your path are different” drew particular attention, leading to political and religious reactions.

Many social media users accused Yadav of being disrespectful to a religious figure, while others have supported his stand against caste-based terms. Aniruddhacharya Maharaj is a well-known spiritual figure with a large following across India.

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