More Evidence on Police Conspiracy

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Kanchi Seer Harrassed -More Evidence on Police Conspiracy

 

Even as nation-wide protests (by Hindus spearheaded by VHP) gathered

strength day by day, the Communists made a funny but abortive

attempt to infiltrate into Kanchi Sankara Mutt affairs while the

Seer was in prison. Shri. N.Ram, Editor of The Hindu surprised many

by giving a lift in his car to Vijayendra Saraswati Swami, the

junior Sankaracharya of Kanchi while returning to the Mutt from

Andhra Pradesh on November 16. But late that night he promptly

pontificated, in a phone-in programme of a TV channel that is

habitually antagonistic to Hindu interests, to the effect that

Vijayendra Saraswati should avoid trouble in future by keeping out

the forces of the "Hindu Right" from the Mutt affairs, "a mistake

committed by Jayendra Saraswati in the past, that landed him in

trouble". Shri. Sitaram Yechuri of the CPI (M) for his part

surprised many by saying that he felt grieved the way the Seer was

treated, only to beat a hasty retreat the next day (November 17)

saying that he was misquoted and "there was no question of grief".

Thus the balloon was pricked before it could bloat much.

 

"It seems to be an error of `judgement' ", the Madras High Court

judge hearing the Kanchi Sankaracharya's bail plea remarked today

afternoon in what looked like a lighter vein. His remarks were about

the attempt of the prosecution lawyer Shri Tulsi to impress the

judge with the information (that proved to be wrong later in the

day) that the Kanchipuram magistrate earlier that day had granted

the request of the police for a five-day police custody to

interrogate the Seer. But, it was seen by many as a calculated move

of the police to defeat the bail plea by devious means and thus

prevent the seer from returning to the Mutt. Though prosecution

apologized to the judge for this, the damage was done. Quite a few

evening dailies went to town with the headlines that the Seer had

been taken into five-day police custody. The verdict on the bail

plea at the High Court was postponed indefinitely, whereas verdict

on the custody request is to be pronounced on November 19.

 

 

 

Leaders of Hindu organizations led by Vishwa Hindu Parishad exposed

this attempted foul play by the police directed on the Hindu Sanyasi

at the November 18 Chennai press meet that they addressed in the

evening. They also announced that a human chain programme to demand

immediate release of the Sankaracharya would be organized on

Saturday, November 20 near several prominent temples in Chennai and

appealed to the public to participate in it. Shri. Durai Sankar,

Chennai Mahanagar Sanghachalak of RSS, Shri. S.Vedantam, Vice

President of VHP, Shri. Ramagopalan of Hindu Munnai, Shri. H.Raja,

BJP MLA, and Shri. Satagopan of ABVP were present at the press meet.

 

 

 

The demand for the immediate release of the Acharya comes not a day

late. The 70-year old Swami is in the Vellore prison cell. In the

last three days, the prison gate was the scene of a large number of

anxious well wishers of the Mutt seeking to meet the Seer. Prominent

among them was Shri. Murli Manohar Joshi of BJP who observed that

the police are looking for evidence after arresting the Swami (He

later briefed his party leadership in Delhi about his meetng with

Shri. Jayendra Saraswati in prison). Swamiji had to walk 2 kms from

his cell and back, every time a visitor seeks to meet him. He is

given only the jail food much against his will. The jail officials

came out with the abominable insinuation that this was to prevent

the Seer from committing suicide, in case he takes food from

outside.

 

 

 

It was on November 18 that Shri Jayendra Saraswati told the

magistrate at Kanchipuram court, where he was produced for th first

time, that the "case was foisted on him". He pleaded not guilty. He

said it was a "police conspiracy". Swamiji's lawyer Shri. Ram

Jethmalani countered the police reasoning for imprisoning the Seer

that he had plans to flee to Nepal in a helicopter kept ready for

the purpose at Hyderabad. Jethmalani pointed out, the helicopter was

not capable of covering the distance from Hyderabad to Nepal. Also,

the Seer is under Z Plus category security and his travel plans are

informed to the government, the eminent lawyer added.

 

TAILPIECE

Shri. M.Karunanidhi and many in his DMK unabashedly celebrated the

arrest of Shri Jayendra Saraswati Swami joining gleefully the all-

are-equal-before-law chorus. He actually congratulated the police

for the arrest of the Seer. The people of Tamilnadu, however, have

not forgotten how vehemently he reacted to the arrest of his son

Shri. M.K.Alagiri in connection with the murder last year in Madurai

of Tha. Krishnan, a former DMK minister who had fallen out with the

DMK high command. Also many remember how Karunanidhi worked overtime

and prevented his another son M.K.Stalin from being implicated in

another murder case in Chennai two years back.