Amit Shah says case against Kanchi seer political
BJP President Amit Shah said that there was no truth in the charge against Kanchi seer Jayendra Saraswathi in the Sankararaman murder case. Shah also said that the case against him was filed for political reasons. Amit Shah's remarks came during his participation in the 'Sahasra Chandra Darshan' felicitation for the Kanchi seer, who had completed 80 years last year.
Sri Jayendra Saraswathi, born as Subramanyam Mahadeva Iyer, is the 69th Shankaracharya Guru and head or pontiff (Pithadhipati) of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham. He was nominated by his predecessor Chandrashekarendra Saraswati as his successor and was given the divinely ordained pontifical title Sri Jayendra Saraswathi on March 22, 1954. He is one of the leading religious figures in Hinduism today.
Sankararaman, manager of the Varadarajaperumal temple at Kancheepuram in Tamil Nadu, was murdered on 3 September 2004 on the temple premises. Kanchi sankaracharyas Jayendra Saraswathi, and Vijayendra Saraswathi were among the key accused.
Jayendra Saraswathi and Vijayendra Saraswathi, the seers of Kanchi Mutt were arrested in relation to Sankararaman murder. Jayendra Saraswathi was arrested on 11 November 2004, in Andhra Pradesh, on charges of "abetting" the murder of Sankararaman. Decision to arrest the seer was taken after two of the 14 persons arrested in the case indicated his "direct involvement." Vijayendra Saraswathi was arrested in Jan 2005.
Kanchi Sankaracharya, Jayendra Saraswathi, and the junior Acharya, Vijayendra Saraswathi, were acquitted by Sessions Court in Puducherry. The court also acquitted 22 others, accused in the case. The judgement stated that Sankararaman murder, was not proved because more than 20 prosecution witnesses turned hostile. Further, it stated that the witnesses who identified the accused in a parade failed to do so before the court.
After the acquittal of Kanchi seers, Puducherry government was given sanction by the then Lt. Governor Virender Kataria to file appeal against seer's acquittal. Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi, in his opinion submitted to the Union Home Ministry in Aug 2014, said that no grounds existed for filing such appeal.
Kanchi Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi endorsed PM Narendra Modi. In his speech Shankaracharya said, "Modi is a good person. He's the only (sitting) Chief Minister who became the PM." Tamil Nadu could see a five-cornered contest, in the upcomig state elections. After its former ally Actor Vijayakanth's DMDK sealed the deal with the Vaiko led PWF, BJP may have to contest alone in the state.
Amit Shah's visit to Tamil Nadu was his first after the May elections were announced. In his reference to the politically motivated action against Kanchi mutt, Shah targeted Tamil Nadu CM Jayalalitha, who was in power when Kanchi seers were arrested.
