Author:
Publication: PTI
Date: November 24, 2004
Prominent religious leaders from
Karnataka today expressed "outrage" over what they called "ill treatment"
of Kanchi Sankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi, arrested in connection
with a murder case, but said the law should take its own course.
Condemning the "treatment meted
out to the Sankaracharya as if he is a criminal" disregarding his
status as the temporal head of an important religious seat, leaders
who met here to discuss the issue said it had caused deep anguish
to them.
"We as swamijis are not above the
law. We have to uphold the Constitution as citizens of the country.
But the Sankaracharya should have been treated with respect in keeping
with his status. He has been ill treated as if he has a long criminal
history," head of Taralabalu Mutt and prominent leader of the dominant
Lingayat community, Shivamurthy Shivacharga said.
Speaking to reporters after their
meeting called by the "Acharya Sabha" of Karnataka, they, however,
made it clear that "nobody is above the law" and the court should
decide on the murder case.
The Art of Living Foundation founder
Ravishankar said the law must prevail in the case but they were pained
at the manner in which "it (the issue) was handled". "It could have
been handled in a better way."
Udupi Pejawar Mutt Swamiji Sri Viswesha
Thirtha swamiji said Jayendra Saraswathi was only an accused and
he should be given "proper treatment" in line with his status as
the temporal head of a prominent Hindu seat.
"We all share the anguish caused
to the seer of the Kanchi mutt. It should not happen to anyone. Respect
should have been given in keeping with his status," Sri Balagangadharanath
Swamiji of the Adichunchanagiri Mutt of the prominent community of
Vokkaligas, said.
The Taralabalu mutt leader said
they were not against the arrest of the Kanchi seer as such but "his
ill treatment". "If the court decides tomorrow that he is innocent,
who will set right the damage already done."
"In our view, the Kanchi Shankaracharya
is neither guilty nor innocent. He is only an accused now," he said.
Shivarathri Desikendra Mahaswamiji
of another prominent Lingayat Mutt at Suttur said the manner of the
Kanchi seer's arrest gave an impression as if it had been done with
prejudice.
He should have been extended the
minimum courtesies and facilities due to him, though they were not
calling his arrest "wrong", he said.
The Pejawar seer said the judiciary
should decide the case but the bail for the swamiji should not have
been opposed. He said there should be no politics in the matter.
The Jagatguru of Kudligi Sringeri
Mutt, Pushpagiri Swamiji of Hyderabad, Shivapuri Swamiji of Omkar
Hills, Dayananda Saraswathi of Rishikesh and representatives of Sri
Sri Gangadharendra Swarnavalli Mahasamsthanam and Abhinava Vidya
Sankara swamiji of Avani Sringeri Mutt also attended the meet.
