The Hindu : Opinion / Letters to the Editor : Act of vendetta?

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jan 12, 2005

Opinion

Opinion - Letters to the Editor

Act of vendetta?

Sir, — The arrest of the junior Sankaracharya of the Kanchi Mutt, Sri Vijayendra Saraswathi, even before the ink on the Supreme Court order granting bail to Sri Jayendra Saraswathi had dried, smacks of political vendetta.

Avuthu Srihari,
Secunderabad

Sir, — The arrest of Sri Vijayendra after the Supreme Court granted bail to the senior Acharya is too much of a coincidence.

S. Nageswara Rao,
Rajahmundry, A.P.

Sir, — The Tamil Nadu police, who initially claimed they had clinching evidence against Sri Jayendra in the Sankararaman murder case, are now clearly aiming at sensationalising the case.

P. Krishna,
Chennai

Sir, — Looks like the police, unable to bear the grant of bail to Sri Jayendra, entered the Kanchi Mutt and arrested Sri Vijayendra. Does it mean they have stronger proof of the latter's involvement in the crime? If yes, why was he not arrested all these days?

K. Ramachandran,
Howrah, West Bengal

Sir, — Why were the police keeping quiet all these days if they had authentic proof of the involvement of Sri Vijayendra?

S.V. Reddappa,
Hyderabad

Sir, — The arrest of Sri Vijayendra is unjustified and unwarranted. Ironically, Sri Jayendra was arrested during Deepavali and his junior has been arrested at the time of Pongal, another important festival of Hindus. Is this just a coincidence?

S. Balaji,
Tirupur, T.N.

Sir, — Even if one were to argue that the Tamil Nadu Government acted in good faith by not arresting Sri Vijayendra until Sri Jayendra was granted bail, one wonders what is the "clinching evidence" that has prompted the arrest of the junior Acharya. Especially since the Supreme Court has said that the prosecution has neither proved the motive nor the direct involvement of Sri Jayendra sufficiently.

N. Ramakrishnan,
Chennai

Sir, — The brazen manner in which the police machinery has been used needs to be condemned.

S. Ramesh,
Bangalore

Sir, — The Government has already inflicted incalculable damage to the Mutt by incarcerating Sri Jayendra for two months on grounds that were found prima facie inadequate by the apex court. Its latest action has only added insult to injury. In fact, it is a challenge thrown to the Supreme Court particularly when the charges against the junior seer are exactly the same as those against Sri Jayendra.

V. Natarajan,
Chennai

Sir, — The senior Acharya has been given bail on the ground that no prima facie evidence has been brought against him except the alleged confessions. What then is the concrete evidence on the basis of which the Junior Acharya has been arrested?

N. Sankariah,
Chennai

Sir, — The entry of the Tamil Nadu police inside the revered Kanchi Mutt to arrest the junior Acharya has hurt the sentiments of lakhs of devotees.

Such sacrilege is akin to Operation Bluestar of 1984.

K.S. Gopalakrishnan,
New Delhi

Sir, — An Indian ICS officer was once suspended by a British District Collector for smoking 40 feet away from a temple. This was the value for local sentiments under colonial rule. In independent India, the rituals that have been performed for years have been stopped by a duly elected Government.

V. Jayaraman,
Noida, U.P.

Sir, — That the junior Acharya was not even permitted to complete his dhanur masa puja is highly condemnable.

T.S. Rengarajan,
Srirangam, T.N.

Sir, — The development has hurt the sentiment of millions who have faith in the Mutt. In spite of the Prime Minister's advice, the Tamil Nadu Government, it seems, has thrown caution to the winds.

P.R. Mahadevan,
Coimbatore, T.N.

Sir, — On the one hand, the Government opposed bail for Sri Jayendra on the plea that he would tamper with evidence if present at the Mutt. On the other, it arrested the junior swami from the same place for the same reason after two months.

T.S. Viswanathan,
Chennai

Sir, — The arrest of Sri Vijayendra shows the vindictive attitude of the State Government towards the Kanchi Mutt. The only solution is to try the Sankararaman murder case outside Tamil Nadu.

Syed Ali Mujtaba,
Chennai

Sir, — That the Government has arrested both the Acharyas who were handpicked by the paramacharya is an insult to the divine soul himself.

B.V. Prasanna Kumar,
Hyderabad

Sir, — With the junior Acharya in custody and the senior prevented from entering the Sankara Mutt, the daily pujas in the Mutt have been affected. The action will be complete if the Mutt is sealed.

R. Rajagopalan,
Chennai

Sir, — With all key functionaries of the Mutt arrested and Sri Jayendra barred from visiting the Mutt, it now looks like a rudderless ship. One wonders if the Government is intending to take over the Mutt.

Varun Venkateswaran,
Inkster, Michigan

Sir, — Sri Jayendra's release on bail by the apex court shows that the `clear evidence' in the possession of the Tamil Nadu police was based on misguided feedback. A CBI inquiry seems essential to facilitate an impartial probe into the Sankararaman murder case.

K.S. Thampi,
Chennai

Sir, — The Supreme Court's observations while granting bail to Sri Jayendra speak volumes to the handling of his case by the Tamil Nadu police! The oft-repeated law-will-take-its-course argument will have meaning only if the law-enforcers know what the laws are, and what purpose they are supposed to serve.

V. Natarajan,
Chennai

Sir, — According to media reports, on receiving the news of bail to Sri Jayendra, the Mutt's followers burst crackers in a jubilant mood. This kind of celebration is fit only for politicians. Mutt followers should only offer thanksgiving prayers.

B.V. Rao,
Bangalore

Sir, — The State Government's handling of the Mutt issue shows the exercise of unbridled power.

P.E.S. Vidyasagar,
Visakhapatnam, A.P.

Sir, — The Public Prosecutor described Sri Jayendra as an "undeserving criminal" while opposing his bail plea in lower court. Has it not been proved that he crossed the Lakshman Rekha?

C. Seshadri Nadan,
Palakkad, Kerala

Sir, — As a result of the latest police action, even those who thought the Acharyas might have had something to do with the murder tend to believe that the whole episode is the fallout of the politics of vendetta.

Pasupathy Ramachandran,
Bangalore

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