November 17
Forwarded by Prof RV
Rajeev
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The Taxt of Jethmalani interview in Afternoon Courier of Mumbai
Pontiff is innocent: Jethmalani
A STAFF REPORTER | Tuesday, November 16, 2004 11:48:14 IST
Counsel for arrested Kanchi Sankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati, the
noted constitutional expert Ram Jethmalani, said that the case against
the seer was false and fabricated and motivated by the age old
anti-Brahmin agenda of the Dravidian parties in Tamil Nadu.
"According to me, the seer has been unfairly implicated in a false
case. This has been proved by the fact that the police are now trying
to build up the case by collecting all sorts of evidence," Jethmalani
said. He referred to the alleged telephonic conversation which the
police claimed to have obtained to prove the pontiff's involvement in
the murder case. "They can do whatever they like. But the fact remains
that my client is innocent," said Jethmalani, whose appearance as the
Sankara-charya's defence caught the prosecution by surprise. Speaking
to this newspaper last night, Jethmalani said that the reason why the
seer was dragged into the murder case was the inherent anti-Brahmin
stand of the main two Dravidian parties, the DMK and AIADMK. "This is
what the seer said," Jethmalani claimed. "Both are anti-Brahmin in
their stand. Any godman is a threat to them," he added, hinting at the
possible political gains which both parties are aiming to make during
the coming assembly elections in Tamil Nadu.
Jethmalani feared the incident has already taken a serious caste turn
and stirred "the perennial conflict between the Shaivites and
Vaisnavites sects". He said he had not met the Sankaracharya after his
arrest, but his juniors were in touch with the seer.
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