<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Â Spiritual-based political movement in TN soon
Kalavai, Feb 18: Vanniar Sangam president A K Natarajan today said he would consult with the other parties before launching a spiritual-based political movement in Tamil Nadu.
Speaking to reporters here after a one-hour meeting with the Kanchi Sankaracharya, Sri Jayendra Saraswathi, Natarajan said he had informed the seer of his willingness to launch such a movement in the state.
However, before making a formal announcement, he would hold discussions with leaders of several political parties in Chennai, Natarajan said, adding that he had already discussed the matter with the junior pontiff of the mutt, Sri Vijayendra Saraswathi, last week in Chennai. (Agencies) <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--> Nothing to implicate Kanchi lawyers: High Court
By Our Staff Reporter
CHENNAI, MARCH 4. The Madras High Court today said it was unable to find any direct nexus between two senior advocates of the Kancheepuram bar and the alleged intimidation of Ravi Subramaniam, accused-turned-approver in the Sankararaman murder case, inside the Kancheepuram sub-jail premises.
Justice K.P. Sivasubramaniam, recording the Public Prosecutor K. Duraisamy's statement that there were no plans to arrest the advocates in connection with the matter at this stage, said: "There is nothing to implicate either Shanmugam or Thyagarajan, who happen to be lawyers defending the accused in the murder case. The facts stated in both the complaints [one given to the Magistrate by Mr. Ravi Subramaniam himself and the other by his wife, Chitra, to the Sivakanchi police] disclose that the main allegations are against two women advocates â Nadira Banu and Revathy Vasudevan."
Posting the matter to March 11 for the prosecution to file its counter-affidavit, Mr. Justice Sivasubramaniam also incorporated the submissions of the petitioner's senior counsel, K. Chandru, that advocates doing their duties as advocates for the accused could not be subjected to threats. <b>"From the beginning, the investigation was very aggressive, and the object of the present complaint is only to threaten the advocates so that they would be discouraged from defending the accused,"</b> he said.
Mr. Duraisamy, however, said the mere fact that the accused were advocates would not mean that they were above any action. He said the approver in the case himself had given a complaint directly to the Magistrate to the effect that two women advocates had come and threatened him to retract his confession.
"There was a definite attempt by the lawyers," the Public Prosecutor said, adding that even earlier <b>they had managed to get a Deputy Superintendent of Police, who was part of the investigation team, to contact Mr. Ravi Subramaniam inside the jail and obtain a signed statement retracting his confession.</b> The approver refused to oblige, and the police official had now been kept under suspension, he said.
<b>When the judge wanted to know why the approver did not lodge a complaint, Mr. Duraisamy said that if any complaint were received from him the prosecution would proceed against the official.</b>
<b>Mr. Justice Sivasubramaniam, strongly disapproving of officials of judiciary and police rushing to the Press, said that till date no action had been taken against anybody responsible for leaking a portion of investigation process to the media. To this, the prosecutor said the matter was being investigated.</b><!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
CHENNAI, INDIA, March 6, 2005: Madras High court has ruled that the Kanchi Kamakoti Mutt is a "separate organization and legal entity by itself," as distinct from the "head" who leads it. Justice K.P. Sivasubramaniam gave the far-reaching ruling while setting aside the special investigation team's recent directive to banks to "freeze" the mutt's bank accounts.
The SIT is investigating the Shankar Raman murder case, in which Jayendra Saraswati and his junior Vijayendra Saraswati are the first and the second accused. The court ruled as "illegal" the police directive that froze 183 bank accounts of various institutions under the mutt, bringing its daily activities to a halt.
In response to Jayendra Saraswati's challenge of the police order, Justice
Sivasubramaniam said the Kanchi mutt "is a religious institution, entitled to constitutional protection, as envisaged under Article 26 of the Indian Constitution." Such institutions "are accepted as institutions/juridical persons..." the judge said.
They do not necessarily have to be registered under any act in view of their
antiquity and "acceptance to a large section of the members of society as representing their faith," the judge added. The court ruled that the daily activities of the mutt and the money it receives or spends on the activities "can absolutely have no relevance to the offences alleged to have been committed earlier by the head of the mutt or for the investigation into these offences."<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
HC delinks mutt and Kanchi seer
M.R. VENKATESH
Jayendra Saraswati: Temporary relief
Chennai, March 6: Madras High Court has ruled that the Kanchi Kamakoti Mutt is a âseparate organisation and legal entity by itselfâ, as distinct from the âheadâ who leads it.
Justice K.P. Sivasubramaniam gave the far-reaching ruling while setting aside the special investigation teamâs recent directive to banks to âfreezeâ the muttâs bank accounts.
The SIT is investigating the Shankar Raman murder case, in which Jayendra Saraswati and his junior Vijayendra Saraswati are the first and the second accused.
The court ruled as âillegalâ the police directive that âfrozeâ 183 bank accounts of various institutions under the mutt, bringing its daily activities to a halt.
In response to Jayendra Saraswatiâs challenge of the police order, Justice Sivasubramaniam said the Kanchi mutt âis a religious institution, entitled to constitutional protection, as envisaged under Article 26 of the Indian Constitutionâ.
Such institutions âare accepted as institutions/juridical persons...â the judge said.
They do not necessarily have to be registered under any act in view of their antiquity and âacceptance to a large section of the members of society as representing their faithâ, the judge added.
All this may prove to be of some relief for followers of religious institutions in the countryâs north and to the institutions themselves. Officials of several religious institutions had recently come under a cloud following allegations of sleaze and power struggles.
Madras High Courtâs ruling is especially significant to the Kanchi mutt as an affidavit by chief investigating officer Sakthivelu, filed on the chief secretaryâs behalf, had said the mutt was not a place of worship but a âresidential colonyâ.
The court ruled that CrPC Section 102 â the prosecution had pushed for a freeze order by citing the power of a police officer to seize certain properties â âcannot have any nexus to the future transactions or the regular activities of the muttâ.
Its daily activities and the money it receives or spends on the activities âcan absolutely have no relevance to the offences alleged to have been committed earlier by the head of the mutt or for the investigation into these offencesâ, the court held.
âAnother perspectiveâ that invalidates Section 102 in this instance is that the mutt or its trust âis an independent body by itself and can have nothing to do with the commission and omission of the head of the mutt in his personal capacity,â the judge said.
âThe mutt is not the accused. It is the head of the mutt who is the accused.â
Top
One-day fast on 'malicious' campaign against religious heads
PTI[ SATURDAY, MARCH 12, 2005 05:43:41 PM ]
CHENNAI: Devotees of the two Kanshi seers will observe a one-day fast on Sunday
against the "systematic and malicious" campaign against Hindu religious heads,
demanding withdrawal of cases against them
Kanchi Kamakoti Akila Bharatha Devotees Forum and the VHP women's wing would
observe the fast and a a group prayer would also be held, Janata Party Tamil
Nadu unit president V S Chandralekha told reporters here on Saturday.
Chandralekha alleged that a public disinformation campaign had been mounted
against the seers and that "bogus" video clippings and interviews had been
published to "discredit them", particularly by a Tamil weekly.
If the state government did not take legal action against the weekly by April
14, "we shall file a private complaint before the court", Chandralekha said.
<b>She alleged that Jayendra Saraswathi's proximity to the Dalits and backward
classes had angered some political parties and claimed that the people's anger
would be reflected in the assembly polls next year.</b><!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Pace slackens in Sankararaman murder case
By V. Jayanth
CHENNAI, MARCH 21. After proceeding on the fast track for a couple of months, the Sankararaman murder case has virtually come to a standstill. Now that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) has filed the charge sheet before the Kancheepuram court, the judicial process has begun and the matter is before the court. <b>Twice all the accused have turned up in the court to receive the charge sheet, but the copies are not ready to be handed over to them.</b>
Besides, defence counsel have asked for time to cross-examine the accused-turned-approver, Ravi Subramaniam, before the Sankararaman murder case is committed to the sessions. The case has been posted for March 24 and enquiries reveal that the charge sheet may not be served on the accused even on that day.
According to the lawyers arguing the case, the court is trying to get the copies made so that they can be served on the accused. "In this case, we have a charge sheet running into over 1,700 pages and there are 24 accused. The police have themselves made copies of the charge sheet, but we are told the court has not accepted this. The court wants to have it done under its supervision and considering the volume of work involved, this will take time," a senior lawyer explains.
As things stand, the Magistrate will first have to provide the defence lawyers an opportunity to cross-examine Mr. Ravi Subramaniam, and then commit the case to the sessions. Simultaneously, the process of serving copies of the charge sheet to the accused will also be completed. All this requires some time.
Asked if the case was losing steam, police sources connected with the investigation say "We have done our job. The charge sheet has been filed well in time. Our part of the job is over. It is now for the court to take up trial and deliver a verdict. We believe there is a strong case and the prosecution will pick up the threads from where we have left it."
But in the public eye, there is hardly anything happening. The speed with which the investigations proceeded after the arrest of the Kanchi Sankaracharya, Sri Jayendra Saraswathi, was arrested in Mehbubnagar near Hyderabad, on November 11, 2004, gave an altogether different impression. But the subsequent developments on the legal front, have taken the wind out of the sails.
Unperturbed by the delay, the SIT is proceeding with the investigations in some of the related cases. The work on the Radhakrishnan assault case has been wrapped up, but the alleged attack on Thirukottiyur Madhavan's case has got bogged down because one of the main suspects has eluded the police dragnet.
A battery of auditors are wading through the various accounts of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam and trusts linked to it. <b>But enquiries show that it was so complex that it may be difficult to take it to its logical conclusion</b>. <!--emo&:blink:--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/blink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='blink.gif' /><!--endemo-->
The SIT is hoping that when the charge sheet is finally served and the trial begins, it can provide an impetus to the other cases.
Seer visits mutt after four months<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--> KANCHEEPURAM: Kanchi Seer Jayendra Saraswathi on Monday visited the Sankara Mutt for the first time since his arrest in connection with the Sankararaman murder case on November 11.
The Seer spent nearly an hour at the mutt during which he performed 'pooja' and did meditation in front of the 'Adishtanam' (samadhi) of the Mahaswami Chandrasekhara Saraswathi, mutt sources said.
Later, he left for Kalavai. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Van carrying Jayendra Saraswathi narrowly misses being hit by train[/b]
Chennai, March. 29 (PTI): The Sankaracharya of Kanchi Mutt, Jayendra Saraswathi, had a brush with death when the vehicle carrying him crossed an unmanned level crossing near Arni, about 130km from here, just a few seconds before a passenger train passed on the track.
The incident occurred around 7.30 pm yesterday <b>when the van carrying the Seer moved across the unmanned level crossing at Pinvalathur in Arni taluk</b>. The Vellore-Villupuram passenger train passed on the track just 15-20 seconds after the Seer's vehicle had crossed.
Jayendra, the main accused in Sankaraman murder case, was in Arni area visiting temples and performing poojas.
<b>The Southern Railway has instituted a probe into the incident, Railway and Police sources said here today</b>.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Acharya moves Supreme Court for transfer of case outside Tamil Nadu <!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->n his transfer petition, the Acharya said "the entire atmosphere generated by this case has prompted the Executive head of the State, the Chief Minister, who is also the Home Minister of the State, to make several statements both before and after the grant of bail on January 10. The different statements would establish that investigations are conducted under the order and directions of the Chief Minister."
Further, out of the 25 accused in the case, 16 accused, including the Kanchi Mutt Manager, Sundaresan, and Raghu, brother of the junior Acharya, Vijayendra Saraswathi, had been detained under the Goondas Act alleging that they were habitual offenders. This was done to deny bail to many of them as otherwise they would have been released on bail on the basis of the orders passed by the apex court.
The Acharya alleged that the entire investigation was done in an oppressive manner. The chargesheet in the case was filed on January 21 on a public holiday in view of Bakrid when the Magistrate was asked to come to the court to receive the chargesheet. He said that knowing fully well that the copies of the chargesheet were not ready, the accused were summoned to the court repeatedly.
He said "the atmosphere in Tamil Nadu is such that any trial that may be initiated or continued against the petitioner and other accused relating to the Kanchi Math would not be free and fair." Contending that judicial fairness and criminal justice system would be at stake, shaking the confidence of the public in the system and the rule of law, the Acharya sought shifting of the case for trial outside Tamil Nadu.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Sankaraman case: Kanchi seers get chargesheet copies </b>
K Venkataramanan / Chennai
A Magistrate Court has handed over copies of the bulky, 1,873-page chargesheet to all 24 suspects in the Sankararaman murder case, including the two Acharyas of Kanchipuram, Sri Jayendra Saraswati and Sri Vijayendra Saraswati, more than 10 weeks after the police filed the investigation report on January 21.
After a two-hour hearing marked by vehement arguments on procedural issues, First Class Judicial Magistrate for Kanchipuram, G Uttamaraja, adjourned the hearing to April 5, for the examination of approver Ravi Subramaniam, a building contractor who has come forward to be the principal witness for the prosecution after allegedly playing a role in the murder of Sankararaman, a temple official, in September last year.
However, prior to the approver being put in the witness box, the Magistrate will first consider a few applications made by lawyers for the accused, including one that demanded copies of the charge-sheet in Telugu for Appu alias K G Krishnasamy, a city businessman, 'don' and alleged kingpin of the gang of hirelings involved in the murder.
Sri Jayendra came to the court from Kalavai, a monastic retreat in a small village in neighbouring Vellore district, while Sri Vijayendra, came from Chennai. Both are currently on bail, while most of the other accused are detainees under the Goondas Act, a preventive detention law.
The hearing had its emotional and interesting moments. MK Raghu, brother of the junior Acharya, broke down suddenly when he saw the Kanchi seers going forward to receive copies of the chargesheet and had to be consoled by the pontiffs and Sundaresa Iyer, manager of the Kanchi Math.
One of the suspects shouted from the end of the long line of accused that the chargesheet was too bulky for him to carry, and the Court directed the police escort to carry it for him.
Another accused, <b>'Silver Star' alias Stalin, said he could not accept the copy of a chargesheet that had been placed at the feet of Lord Varadaraja Perumal (one of the famous Hindu deities of Kanchipuram) before it was brought to Court. "How can this happen in a secular country? I can accept it if it is placed before Mother Vailankanni (a Christian deity),"</b> he said.
However, Magistrate Uttamaraja sternly told him these copies were prepared by the court and he could not raise such issues at this stage. In a minor gaffe, approver Subramaniam was also given a copy, leading to protests from some defence lawyers who contended that an approver was not entitled to chargesheet copies. The copy was returned to the court.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Bashing Hindu deities consitutes Secularism.
So far there is no report whether the approver Ravi Subramanyan was examined by the prosecution as scheduled earlier to take place today, the 5th of April.
The Acharya excused himself from attending the court through his lawyers that due to the rain around Kalavai and an important pooja he was scheduled to perform he might be unable to make it.
<b>Seer gave money, claims Ravi Subramaniam</b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Ravi Subramaniam, accused-turned-approver in the Sankararaman murder case, today told a court here that Kanchi Seer Jayendra Saraswathi, the prime accused in the case, had handed over Rs 15 lakh, including a cheque for Rs five lakh, to be given to the assassins of the temple official.
Making a statement before the first class judicial magistrate G Uthamaraj, Ravi Subramaniam said he had introduced Appu alias Krishnasamy to the Seer.
Narrating the sequence of events, he said on September 1, 2004, two days before the murder, he and Appu along with Kathiravan, another accused in the case, met the seer, who had showed a letter purportedly written by Sankararaman and told them that he should be "got rid of" and he should not get any further letters from Sankararaman.
They also called on the Junior Pontiff Vijayendra, who had asked his brother Raghu to arrange Rs 50 lakh, he alleged. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<b>Kanchi Mutt proposes to open medical college in Seer's name</b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->The Madras High Court today admitted a petition filed by the Kanchi Mutt for a direction to Tamil Nadu authorities to issue an 'essentiality certificate' (EC) for the purpose of establishing a new medical college in the name of Kanchi Sankaracharya in the city.
Admitting the petition, Justice K P Sivasubramanian issued notice to the Secretary of the state Health and Family Welfare department, returnable in two weeks.
The mutt contended it had applied for the EC on July 6, 2003, as a trust run by it wanted to start a medical college 'Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Institute of Medical Sciences and Research' in the city and a teaching hospital under the auspices and guidance of Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Mahavidyalaya (Deemed University) sponsored by a charitable trust of the Kanchi Mutt.
The petitioner said at this juncture, Tamil Nadu Hospitals in the city's Sankaranagar was facing financial problems and the trust cleared its dues and took it over for the purpose of establishing a state-of-the-art hospital as part of the medical college.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->The Madras High Court today admitted a petition filed by the Kanchi Mutt for a direction to Tamil Nadu authorities to issue an 'essentiality certificate' (EC) for the purpose of establishing a new medical college in the name of Kanchi Sankaracharya in the city.
Admitting the petition, Justice K P Sivasubramanian issued notice to the Secretary of the state Health and Family Welfare department, returnable in two weeks.
The mutt contended it had applied for the EC on July 6, 2003, as a trust run by it wanted to start a medical college 'Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Institute of Medical Sciences and Research' in the city and a teaching hospital under the auspices and guidance of Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Mahavidyalaya (Deemed University) sponsored by a charitable trust of the Kanchi Mutt.
The petitioner said at this juncture, Tamil Nadu Hospitals in the city's Sankaranagar was facing financial problems and the trust cleared its dues and took it over for the purpose of establishing a state-of-the-art hospital as part of the medical college.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Commie propaganda at work here. The para that I have highlighted is the message embedded with the news. The idea being conveyed is that Kanchi seer requires his allegations against the fat lady to strengthen his case (as though the SC observations in the bail issue did not even happen).
Additionally, I think NDTV is also trying to help out the BJP, by providing them with an excuse why they did not take up the seer issue more forcefully and seriously. So once the SC says that the fat lady is indeed interfering in the case, BJP would have enough ammunition to launch a nationwide protest as though that's what prevented them!!
But the important news to note here is: Good days are here now. JS is taking the fight to the enemy camp.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Kanchi seer targets Jayalalithaa in SC
NDTV Correspondent
Wednesday, April 6, 2005 (New Delhi):
Kanchi Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati has accused Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa of targetting him and having some vested interests in his case.
The seer has filed a petition before the Supreme Court, claiming that the Chief Minister targetted him because of a battle for control of a Chennai hospital.
Seer files petition
NDTV has a copy of the petition, in which, seeking a transfer of the murder case against him out of Tamil Nadu, the Shankaracharya has said, "it is difficult to understand why all these prosecutions have been initiated and are being actively controlled by the Chief Minister, who is also the Home Minister.
"The only apparent reason for special interest is that Jayalalithaa wanted to take control of the Tamil Nadu hospital in Chennai, a hospital that the Kanchi mutt had recently acquired."
The petition in the Supreme Court also says Superintendent of Police Prem Kumar who was specially chosen by the state government to investigate the case, had campaigned for the AIADMK in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections.
Looking for support
The AIADMK refused to comment but earlier this year, Jayalalithaa had denied the charge that she had a vested interest in targetting Jayendra Saraswati.
"There is no personal motive in this case and the government at present is not planning to take the Kanchi mutt," said Jayalalithaa, Chief Minister, Tamil Nadu.
The Shankaracharya faces several serious charges against him, including murder and three cases against him are still being heard in different courts in Chennai.
<b>For now, Jayendra Saraswati is hoping that the allegations against Jayalalithaa will not just strengthen his case legally, but will also give fodder to his political supporters the BJP to defend him politically</b>.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Learn the truth behind the arrest of Kanchi Sankaracharya
        Campaign for Dharma
      by Professor A.V. Raghunath
   trustee Kanchi Kamakoti Seva Foundation
Saturday, April 9th: 10:30AM â 12PM
Sunnyvale Hindu Temple
420-450 Persian DriveSunnyvale, CA 94089
Saturday, April 9th: 4:30PM â 6:30PM
Fremont Hindu Temple
3676 Delaware Drive, Fremont, CA
Sunday, April 10th: 10:30AM â 12PM
Vaidica Vidhya Ganapathi Center
32, Rancho Drive,San Jose, CA 95111
Sunday April 10th4:30 PM â 6PMK
alaikoil*
6715-G Dublin Blvd, Dublin, CA 94568
Prof A.V.Raghunath will cover the truth behind the arrest of Kanchi
Sankaracharyas, the challenges, and the need of the time to uphold
and preserve Hindu Dharma.
Campaign for Dharma
· To uphold Truth
· To defend Adi Sankara Baghavad Pada Tradition
· To redeem the glory of 2500 year old Institution
· To Persist in the service of the underprivileged
· To preserve and protect Hindu Dharma
· To continue to be the uninterrupted beacon for mankind
Support the âCampaign for Dharmaâ To establish a fund for the legal
defense of the Acharyas of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam â They need
your support. Donate generously to the âCampaign for Dharmaâ. Send
your tax deductible checks in favor of the Kanchi Kamakoti Seva
Foundation (www.kksfusa.org). Visit www.kanchi-sathya.org today --
your window to truth! <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
The going rate for contract killing seems to have come down a lot. Witness the measly twenty thousand rupees only allegedly offered on behalf of Sundaresa Iyer and company to a recent culprit Akhilan for 'finishing off' the approver Ravi.
Not only is Akhilan alleged to have converted part of the money into narcotics, he also seems to have promptly confessed to the whole thing!
Thus this ex RBI man is being involved in more cases of conspiracy to murder and possession(?) of narcotics!
Whole case is based on lie, on top prosecutors are bad cook.
They have all facts wrong. Main objective was to prosecute seer in media and they will win case. Now they have no ground left to put blame on Seer.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Barkis Isn't Willing
Jaya's softened her mien with a string of rollbacks, yet can't find even one ally
S. ANAND
Amma Alone
  * All mainstream political parties are wary of a tie-up with the AIADMK given Amma's autocratic style of functioning
  * PMK's Ramadoss was a 'possible' ally but he wants no truck
  * The Shankaracharyas' arrest has alienated the BJP
  * The AIADMK is still too haughty to ally with the Dalit parties
There are three political untouchables in Tamil Nadu today. The AIADMK, the BJP and, of course, the Dalit partiesâthe Dalit Panthers of India and Puthiya Tamizhagam. With two assembly constituenciesâGummidipoondi and Kanchipuramâfacing bypolls on May 14, the AIADMK leadership has been trying hard to win over allies, but no one seems interested. That the battle for the bypolls and the eventual assembly elections will be bitter became evident when the DMK and AIADMK clashed on the streets of Chennai on April 19 over a byelection to two municipal corporation wards. Having made a clean sweep of the 40 seats in TN and Pondicherry in the 2004 Lok Sabha polls, the rainbow Democratic Progressive Alliance (DPA)âled by the DMK and comprising the Congress, Vaiko's MDMK, Ramadoss' PMK, the two Left parties and the Muslim Leagueâis intact.
Desperately seeking allies, chief minister J. Jayalalitha, ahead of her visit to Delhi to attend a CMs' conference, gave a call to the CPI(M) to consider reviving the third front. After Prakash Karat assumed charge of the politburo, she urged the Left to withdraw support to the "anti-people" upa saying an alternative would emerge automatically. While TN assembly speaker K. Kalimuthu dutifully predicted that Amma would be the future PM, Karat's response to a query about meeting her was: "Are you threatening me? Why would you wish danger on me?" CPI leader D. Raja, who hails from TN, was equally caustic: "We know what we should do. There is no need to take advice from her." Jayalalitha may have prime ministerial ambitions, but for now retaining her hold in TN appears increasingly difficult.
Not just the Left, most parties in TN dread the idea of allying with the AIADMK. If the experience in the assembly is anything to go by, no MLA would be allowed to intervene unless he wishes to praise Amma. Becoming her ally would mean losing one's own voice. The BJP is no major player in the state, but after the arrest of the Shankaracharyas, the party can't be expected to ally with the AIADMK. It would rather contest assembly polls alone.
Jayalalitha would be disappointed, for after the May 2004 drubbing, she reversed several policy decisions. The anti-conversion legislation, the ban on animal sacrifices, the measures against government employees who struck work, cancellation of free power to farmers, the scores of defamations cases against the mediaâall were withdrawn. She thought the Veerappan extermination capped her achievements. In arresting Jayendra Saraswati, she may have thought she'd enter into the good books of secularists. But nothing seems to have helped the AIADMKk's cause.
And while she may have got Hyundai and Nokia to set up shop in TN, the chargesheet in the "mini flyover scam", for which she arrested DMK chief M. Karunanidhi in June 2001 and implicated his son M.K. Stalin, is yet to be filed. In contrast, trial in the Rs 66.65-crore "disproportionate wealth case" against her is under way at the special court in Bangalore. Judge A.S. Pachchpure has warned that the "accused (Jayalalitha) cannot remain absent from proceedings without sufficient grounds" and has indicated that she be there on May 9. Conviction in this case could jeopardise Jayalalitha's political career.
Amma's desperation became most evident last week when she announced the withdrawal of her pet Rs 300-crore Veeranam scheme, which envisaged sourcing water to Chennai from the Veeranam lakeâa move that would hit farmers in four districts. During the 2004 campaign, she had projected it as one of her successes. Now, it's a volte-face: "Since the voice of the people is the voice of god, I decided against the implementation of the project," she said. Every policy reversal is showing her as being unsure of her ground.It is said the state government handled the fallout of the tsunami fairly well.But by 2006, this won't win the AIADMK an election.If it's thinking of disturbing the DPA, it has to dangle the carrot of power-sharing and tempt some allies out.
In the DPA front, the PMK was expected to stake claim for the Kanchipuram seat (given that it falls in the Vanniyar belt) and the MDMK for Gummidipoondi (courtesy the Naidu predominance there). However, postponing seat-sharing to the real battle for the assembly, all the allies have decided to let the DMK contest the two bypolls. PMK's Ramadoss, seen as the most likely to succumb to AIADMK overtures, has reinforced his commitment to the DPA. Amma could have at least tried to woo the Dalit parties ignored by the DPA, but she seems too haughty to do that.
The DMK is likely to wrest the two seats from the AIADMK in the bypolls, but it's an alliance government post the 2006 assembly poll that's the larger unresolved issue. Karunanidhi has been allergic to any such move, even reprimanding Congress' E.V.K.S. Elangovan for mentioning it. But power-sharing seems inevitable given the erosion of the DMK's base in the southern districts, forcing it to rely on the Congress and MDMK. In the northern districts, it has to bank on the PMK. DMK's choice for chief ministership in 2006 will be another bone of contention. Karunanidhi, 81, has not ruled himself out. Voices like that of DMK MP Trichy Siva are pressing for a greater role for Stalin, but other allies may not agree to such inheritance claims. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
