BJP will expose "nexus" between TN Govt and Centre: Dattatreya

VELLORE, DEC 17 (PTI)

Alleging a 'nexus' between the AIADMK Government and the Centre in the Kanchi seer, Jayendra Saraswathi's arrest episode, senior BJP leader Bandaru Dattatreya today said the party would expose it.

''Definitely, there is a nexus between the AIADMK Government and the central Government in the seer arrest episode and we will expose it," he told newsmen after calling on the seer at the central jail here this evening.

The seer is lodged in the jail from Nov.12, a day after his arrest in connection with the September 3 murder of Shankararaman, manager of a Kancheepuram temple He said the Jayalalithaa Government which "is responsible for the arrest of the seer and the conspiracy behind it, will have to pay a heavy price for it." Dattatreya, who is incharge of Tamil Nadu BJP unit, said there was also a 'political conspiracy' behind the seer's arrest and both the Jayalalithaa and the Central government were responsible for it.

He said Jayalalithaa lost in the Lok Sabha polls and also the minority vote bank. 'There is now a competition between the AIADMK and the DMK to garner the minority votes and that is why, they want to keep the issue in lime light and by implicating the seer, Jayalalithaa thinks that the minority votes will come back to her', he claimed.

Pointing out that the Supreme Court had asked the state government to furnish case diary and other particulars before January 6, Dattatreya said the state government had not gone to the apex court with full details of the case. 'Why this government is dilly-dallying?, he asked. He said he felt that the "character assassination" of the seer indulged in by the state government was 'very dangerous and inhuman'. The BJP would reply to the 'slanderous campaign', without interfering in the court affairs. 'The law should take its own course'.

Wondering why the seer was being treated like a 'criminal', the BJP leader said the seer had only been accused as a conspirator.

The Government, he felt, had not got at the truth and whatever evidence the police got from the banks, cell phones and from other accused persons, had gone against it and the police. "This clearly indicates that there is no proper evidence.