Seer case: BJP stays firm

TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ SUNDAY, JANUARY 16, 2005 11:02:08 PM ]
NEW DELHI/CHENNAI: With the war of words and sentiments over the seer's arrest issue hotting up, BJP vice-president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told TOI on Sunday that the party stood by its demands.

There was no doubt that Jayalalithaa's actions had been prejudiced and her attempts to justify these just proved it, he charged. Particularly after some of the allegations against the seer had not stood up in the Supreme Court, Naqvi added.

Coming down heavily on the Kanchi seers, Jayalalithaa contended: "No one wished and expected that the heads of Sankara Mutt, set up to uphold Hindu 'dharma', would stray from the path of 'dharma' and doctrines of the 'shastras' to be arraigned as accused in a murder case.

At the same time, when all evidence clearly pointed towards them in the commission of such a crime, that couldn't be ignored. Guilt or innocence can be established only when full fledged trial takes place in court. Until then, all the previous stages, up to that of filing a chargesheet, form part of the domain of investigation."

Claiming that the seers' involvement in the murder and assaults was not an ordinary incident, she declared: "It is murder, brutal murder of an orthodox temple manager committed by hirelings in broad daylight, within the temple premises. Should this brutal crime be left uninvestigated? Is it their view that hired assassins and conspirators should be allowed to go scot-free?"