The spat between Shirdi Sai devotees and Shankaracharya Swaroopanand Saraswati has turned uglier and reached the court. The Naga seers have now sided with Shankaracharya.

The Nagas have said that if Shankaracharya is insulted, they will take to the streets in protest. The Naga sadhus have called this issue a 'religious war'. Nagas are a sect of seers who worship Lord Shiva. Swaroopanad Saraswati had said that people should not worship Sai Baba and other Hindu deities.

The Sai temple in Lucknow has filed a petition in the Allahabad High Court asking the court to lodge an FIR against Shankaracharya Swaroopananda. The court will hear the case July 4.

"They are trying to incite Hindus. I tried to register a case but it was not done, so I approached the court," said Swami Kamal Kishore. "We are okay with whatever idol they choose to worship. But if they place the idols of our Gods at the feet of Sai Baba, it is unacceptable to us," said Shankaracharya supporter Swami Narendra Giri.

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