OPERATION BLUE STAR’ AT KANCHI MATH

(Compiled from various sources, including ‘The New Indian Express’, Chennai, Jan. 11, 05)

“The ‘CONGI Amma’ did it recklessly decades ago to the most holy place of the Sikh community, the Golden Temple at Amritsar, and ultimately had to pay for it very dearly. And now this ‘haughty Amma’ of AIADMK, has done it with impunity to the most holy place of the Hindu community at Kanchipuram, with the history of over 2500 years. By these misdeeds the lady is only digging her own grave” blurted out an angry devotee.

Devotees who were present inside the Kanchi Math likened the arrest of the junior Shankaracharya, Vijayendra Saraswati, to “Operation Blue Star” in as much as the Tamil Nadu Police entered the Kanchi Math -- a sacred place of worship, with their dirty shoes on and disturbed its proceedings. Sri Vijayendra Saraswati was in the midst of a Pooja when the police entered the Math and told him he was under arrest. He was forced to discontinue his pooja.

The police had barged into the Math without the permission of the Acharya. It was something unprecedented. At the time of arrest no warrant was served. The Chengalpet session court would be moved for Vijayendra Saraswati’s bail.

Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court had granted bail to the Senior Shankaracharya Sri Jayedra Saraswati who would be available for consultations once he comes out of the Vellore prison.

The three-judge SC Bench was of the opinion that prime facie a strong case had been made out for grant of bail to the Senior Acharya. The appeal was accordingly allowed and the impugned order of the high Court was set aside. The bench also observed that there was absolutely no evidence or material that indicated the Acharya’s resentment against the deceased for having made allegations against either his personal character or discharge his duties as the Shankaracharya. Since the petitioner kept absolutely quiet for over three years, it did not appeal to reason that the Acharya suddenly decided to have Shankaran murdered, the Bench added. Further, the Bench also noted that no prima facie evidence, apart from the alleged confessions, have been brought to their notice to show that the petitioner was a party to a conspiracy. The Acharya cannot be equated with that of Laloo’s best friend and RJD criminal Papu Yadav in Bihar. Thus, a strong case made out prima facie for grant of bail to the Senior Acharya, and at last, justice done although delayed for two months.

Within hours of the SC granting bail to the Senior Acharya, the Special Investigation Team led by Kanchipuram Superintendent of Police P. K. Premkumar (please refer “Equal before which law?” http://www.vigilonline.com/interact/discuss/discuss.asp Dec. 16, 2004, to know all about this gentleman, his fame and his adventures) entered the Shankara Math and arrested the Junior Acharya. Strangely, the prosecution did not seek police custody of him.

The arrest drama began at five in the evening when the advocates of the Math were busy preparing for the release of the Senior Acharya. Two police vans with a team of about 70 policemen arrived near the Math. Soon they were followed by a long convoy of police vehicles. SP Premkumar with the Investigating officer then entered the Math premises with shoes on. They were accompanied by gun-wielding policemen, and immediately thereafter security personnel cordoned off all entry points to the Math. The devotees who were inside the Math were seen coming out crestfallen.

On hearing about the arrest, lawyers representing the Math and devotees started gathering in front of the Math. Police escorted the Junior Acharya to his van amid chanting of “Hara Hara Shankara, Jaya Jay Shankara” by the devotees and was driven to the bungalow of the Special Investigation Team for questioning previous to being produced before the Magistrate.

Concerned over the arrest of the Junior Acharya, the BJP delegation led by the senior leaders, and the former President of India, Sri R. Venkataraman, called on the Prime Minister. They felt there had been no need to treat the respected Acharya like a common criminal. Clearly, the SC found the evidence against him rather weak.

Various Hindu organizations, including the RSS and VHP, have stood like a rock against all the fury and vicious persecution of the Hindu religious leaders by the Tamil Nadu Government. And the entire Hindu society would stand by them through the trials and tribulations they would be facing in the future.

Right from the beginning, all right-thinking people, including the BJP, had maintained that there should be no justification for treating the Acharya as a convicted criminal. The Tami Nadu Government made a planned effort to tarnish the reputation of the Acharya and the Kanchi Math. It is hoped that the nefarious designs of the vested interests are exposed in the coming days. The ruling alliance at the Center is accused of silently collaborating with efforts to tarnish the Acharya. The arguments in the court clearly showed that the state government’s plea to prevent bail to the Acharya were weak. From the very beginning the Hindu organizations had repeatedly maintained that the allegations against the Acharya were baseless and that he should be given an opportunity to face the challenge.

As mentioned already, finally, justice has been given to the Acharya though it was delayed. The Hindu leaders have demanded an apology from the Tamil Nadu Government and have asked for withdrawal of the cases against the seer in the light of the apex court’s decision. The very fact that the SC has granted bail to the Acharya means that the Tami Nadu police could not present concrete evidence against him. Since it could not gather concrete evidence even after two months, the State Government should immediately withdraw the cases against the Acharya and seek forgiveness from the Hindus for hurting their religious sentiments.

The timing of the arrest of the junior Acharya was indeed strange. Questions will now be raised about the timing of arrest till the police gave justification about why it was not effected so far.

Senior BJP leaders and former President of India who met the Prime Minister to register their protest against the arrest of the Junior Acharya of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham, Sri Vijayendra Saraswati, expressed their apprehensions that the arrest of the Junior Acharya might cause interruption in the customary pooja ritual being performed in the Shankara Math from the last 2,500 years. The Prime Minister shared the concern of the BJP delegation and said he would see what he could do under the existing situation.

The Hindu leaders have described the arrest of Junior Acharya as an expression of anger of the Tamil Nadu Government against the SC granting bail to the Senior Acharya. They have charged the Tamil Nadu Govt. with crossing “constitutional limits”, and demanded immediate central intervention to secure the release of the Junior Acharya.

“The Jayalalitthaa’s Govt. in Tamil Nadu is behaving like an extra-constitutional authority. Unnerved by SC’s decision to grant bail to the Senior Acharya, the State Govt. has not only tried to tarnish the Math’s reputation but also has posed a challenge to the apex court… If the Center does not intervene, it would only mean that the State Govt. was taking all these steps with the connivance of the Union Govt.”

Criticizing the arrest of the Junior Acharya, the Hindu leaders have reiterated that the Tamil Nadu Govt.’s action stemmed from its anger against the SC’s decision to grant bail to the Senior Acharya in the case: “The action of the Tamil Nadu police is completely malafide… The arrest of the junior Acharya stemmed out of the State Govt.’s anger at the apex court’s judgment. It is an affront to the rule of law… The state police with this action has forfeited its moral authority to probe the case.”

The Hindu leaders have demanded a CBI probe into the case: “The investigation must now be conducted by CBI and CBI alone.” They have charged the Tamil Nadu Govt. with conspiring to grab the vast resources of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham by arresting the junior Acharya.

The senior leader of the VHP, Sri Ashok Singhal, left for Chennai to talk to the Senior Acharya and assess the situation. Based on Singhal’s assessment, the VHP would decide on its next course of action.

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