RSS chief's statement over new Seer creates confusion

Kalavai, Jan. 17 (PTI): Confusion today prevailed over RSS Chief K S Sudarshan's statement that a third sanyasi has been called to perform pujas here triggering speculation that a new Kanchi Sankaracharya is being anointed.

"The Sankaracharya (Jayendra Saraswathi) said according to the tradition of the Kanchi Mutt, only sanyasis can perform pujas, whereas in other mutts sanyasis and grahastas can do the puja.

"It is for this purpose that a sanyasi, a sishya of both Swamiji's, has also been called over here. All of them will perform pujas," Sudarshan told reporters after he called on Jayendra Saraswathi.

Asked whether it meant that a successor to Jayendra and Vijayendra has been identified, Sudarshan said "identified by both of them, because he was given diksha (initiation) by both of them. So that is why he has been called. Vijayendra Saraswathi is behind the bars. So he has come over here and pujas are being done."

However, when contacted Mutt spokesperson Sankaran said "it is totally false. No such thing. Please do not publish this."

Asked whether he was denying it, Sankaran said 'Sudarshan himself will deny it.'

Sudarshan said he had requested Jayendra Saraswathi to undertake a tour of the entire country, so that people would be able to know what sort of persecution is being done with 'political motive.'

Asked about the Seer's response to his request, he said it was positive.

Alleging that Congress President Sonia Gandhi, was behind the arrest of the Seers, he said Union Minister Suresh Pachori, had given a list of Jayalalithaa's assets and Sonia Gandhi was using it to blackmail Jayalalithaa, who is under pressure and was doing these things.

Former President R Venkataraman, had even said that Jayalalithaa has gone mad and that was why the Kanchi Mutt case should be taken out of Tamil Nadu, he said.

He said in the entire episode, the RSS has kept the VHP in the forefront and RSS would support them in whatever way possible.

He said the cases against the Seer should be transferred outside the State.