Date:19/12/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/12/19/stories/2004121906810800.htm

National

Centre should intervene, says Advani

By Our Special Correspondent

COIMBATORE, DEC. 18. The Bharathiya Janata Party President, L.K. Advani, today demanded that the Central Government and the Prime Minister intervene in the issue of arrest of the Kanchi Sankaracharya, Sri Jayendra Saraswathi, in the Sankararaman murder case.

Addressing presspersons at the airport here en route Palakkad, Kerala, Mr. Advani alleged that there was a "concerted assault" on the Kanchi Mutt.

Even before the investigation was over the Acharya had been sought to be projected as "guilty". "He has been treated more as a convict by the prosecution than as an accused" and this appalled everyone, he claimed.

Mr. Advani said that the DMK president, M. Karunanidhi, had said in a recent interview that had he been the Chief Minister, "these charges might not have come up against the Acharya."

Besides, he wanted the arrest of "only the real culprits. But they arrested the Acharya."

Mr. Advani said it seemed that these statements showed that Mr. Karunanidhi believed that the case against the Acharya was politically motivated. The onus is clearly on the Tamil Nadu Government to convince the people that this is not the case."

However, the Central Government "cannot wash its hands of" the matter, he said.