The Hindu : Front Page : "No proposal to take over Kanchi Mutt"

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Sunday, Jan 16, 2005

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Front Page

"No proposal to take over Kanchi Mutt"

CHENNAI, JAN. 15. The Tamil Nadu Government has no proposal to take over the administration of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam, the newly-appointed Home Secretary, Pavan Raina, said today.

Talking to AIR here, he said there was no change in the State Government's stand announced by the Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, in a statement in November last year after the arrest of the Kanchi Sankaracharya, Sri Jayendra Saraswathi, in connection with the Sankararaman murder case.

"There is no change in the Government's policy," Mr. Raina said. — UNI

Our Special Correspondent writes:

Mr. Raina's denial comes in the wake of rumours that the Government is planning to promulgate an ordinance for takeover of the Kanchi Sankara Mutt.

The Chief Minister's statement in Tamil, referred to by Mr. Raina, was made on the floor of the State Assembly on November 17. It noted that the Government had "no intention at all to take over the Mutt. It has been the Government's wish that the Mutt should continue to uphold the tradition and principles of Hinduism."

"The Government feels that no disrepute is caused to the glorious Kanchi Mutt. I wish to make it clear that the Government had no intention at all to paralyse the Kanchi Mutt which has a holy tradition or take over its administration."

In a five-page statement issued on November 23, Ms. Jayalalithaa referred to the "diatribe" of the former Union Minister and BJP leader, Murli Manohar Joshi, about the Government's motive behind the arrest of the Kanchi Sankaracharya. She said: "I have made a categorical statement in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly on November 17, 2004, on this issue. I had stated that as far as my Government is concerned, it has the highest regard for the Kanchi Mutt, which has an ancient and reputable tradition. I had also indicated that a few people are insinuating that the Government should take over the administration of the Kanchi Mutt in the present situation. I had then categorically clarified that my Government did not have any intention of taking over the administration of the Kanchi Mutt. When this is the position and I have already clearly stated my Government's stand, it is shocking that Mr. Murli Manohar Joshi has made such reckless statement without an iota of truth."

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