A video of Swami Aniruddhacharya allegedly making derogatory remarks about women has gone viral, sparking widespread outrage. His statement, made during a religious event, was condemned by legal groups and religious leaders, prompting protests and a police complaint. In response, Aniruddhacharya released a clarification claiming the video was misleading and that his comments were directed at “some girls,” not all.
A video of spiritual speaker Swami Aniruddhacharya has gone viral, in which he allegedly made derogatory remarks about women, saying that ”women by the age of 25 usually have had multiple relationships.” The sexist remark by Aniruddhacharya, reportedly made during a religious event at Vrindavan’s Gauri Gopal Ashram, has sparked sharp criticism and widespread outrage on social media. However, following the backlash, Aniruddhacharya posted a clarification video in which he claimed that the original clip had been “falsely doctored and was misleading.” Clarifying his stand, he said, “some girls, not all girls.”
Aniruddhacharya, who has courted controversies in the past also over his bizarre remarks on women, allegedly said in the viral video that “Ab 25 saal ki ladki chaar jagah mu maar chuki hoti hai. Sab nahi par bahut. Aur wo 25 saal ki jab aati hai toh puri jawan hoke aati hai. Jab jawan hoke aayegi toh swabhavik hai ki uski jawani kahin fisal jaegi.”
(“Now the girl arrives at the age of 25. By that time, a 25-year-old girl has been involved with multiple men. Not all, but many. And when she comes at 25, she is fully grown and mature. So naturally, her youth is likely to slip.”)
As per Navbharat Times report, Aniruddhacharya’s alleged remarks have triggered widespread backlash, particularly from women advocates of the Mathura Bar Association. The advocates have lodged a formal complaint with the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), calling the statement unconstitutional, inflammatory, and indicative of inappropriate sexual conduct. They also held a protest at the district collectorate, demanding strict legal action against the spiritual leader.
Gunjan Sharma, the state president of the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi Sangharsh Trust, firmly denounced the remarks, while Pandit Dinesh Phalahari—chief petitioner in the Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi temple case—also condemned the statement, asserting that such indecent comments are unbecoming of a spiritual figure.
Following the outrage, Swami Aniruddhacharya uploaded a “clarification” video via his official Instagram handle. In the video, he said, “Radhe Radhe. Aap logon ke dwara humein soochna mili ki kuch behnein naraaz hain is baat ko lekar, kyunki unhone aadhi adhoori video suni. Us video mein kaha gaya ki aaj kal 25 saal ki ladki… dekhiye baat yahaan ja rahi thi ki kuch ladkiyaan aisi hoti hain jo live-in mein rehkar chaar jagah mooh maar chuki hoti hain. Aur jab woh kisi ghar ki bahu banengi, toh kya woh rishte ko nibha payengi? Isliye, ladka ho ya ladki, dono ko pehle charitrawaan hona chahiye. Yeh baat kuch ladkiyon ke liye thi, sab ke liye nahi.”
(“Radhe Radhe. I have been informed by some of you that a few sisters are upset because they listened to an incomplete video. In that video, it was said that nowadays, a 25-year-old girl… Look, the point being made was that some girls are such that they have been in live-in relationships and are involved with multiple men. And when such a girl becomes the daughter-in-law of a household, will she be able to maintain that relationship? That’s why, whether it’s a boy or a girl, both should be of good character first. This statement was meant for some girls, not all.”)