Robbers strike in wee hours again Saturday, January 29, 2005 | Editor
The house where the robbers struck.
Pre-dawn strikes by burglars continued in the Chennai today with the stealing of a huge quantity of gold and cash along with silk sarees from a house of a foreign-returned chartered accountant on Bawa Salai at Abhiramapuram in Chennai.
While the family stated that the intruders, who gained entry into the first floor by climbing a drainage pipe, had taken gold upto 100 sovereigns, Rs 30,000 in cash in the wee hours police said the booty could be much less.
The intruders, after entering into the house went down to the ground floor, while inmates were sleeping in the first floor, emptied an almirah of its contents and escaped under cover of darkness. Police later said their patrol teams were in the area upto 2 am.
It was only in the morning the family members noticed the burglary and immediately informed the Abhiramapuram police. Senior police officers rushed to the spot to supervise the investigation.
It may be noted that a couple of days, robbers struck at Thiruvanmiyur in the early hours and decamped with gold and cash in a similar manner.
Mutt legal team goes into a huddle Saturday, January 29, 2005 | Editor
Ever since the Sankararaman murder case and the subsequent auditor Radhakrishnan case broke out, the battery of legal experts employed by the Kanchi Sankara Mutt hardly have any time to relax.
And today was perhaps no different.
The Mutt's legal team went into a huddle to decide whether to go on appeal or not against the rejection of bail to the junior Kanchi Acharya, Sri Vijayendra Saraswati, in the Sankararaman murder case by a sessions court in Chingleput yesterday.
Though no formal decision was taken till afternoon, the indications are that an appeal against the denial of bail may soon be preferred in a higher court on behalf of the junior seer.
The legal team is surprised by the court's decision. Sources close to the these lawyers today said 'it was surprising that when the first accused in the case is out on bail, how the other accused can be denied bail'
But the principal sessions judge G M Akbar Ali in his decision said 'no prima facie case was made out for setting the junior Acharya at liberty'.
The court had said 'the petitioner could not claim parity with the senior Acharya to whom the Supreme Court granted bail. The apex court considered various aspects, different from the circumstances involving the junior Acharya at this stage'.
The Judge said his court was not going into the details of the examination of evidence, documents and merits of the case but considered only the bail applications. There were sufficient evidence that both the senior and the junior seers had full knowledge of the day-to-day affairs of the mutt.
'There are prima facie evidences of a meeting that took place in Nazarethpet, near Chennai, between the senior seer and the deceased (Sankararaman) and evidence that the deceased had more resentment towards the junior seer, his brother Raghu and Sundaresa Iyer. Sankararaman's final notice urged for the 'removal of the poisonous successor' and its contents, if proved true, can be more damaging to the junior seer than to the senior,' the judge said.
But the Mutt lawyers want to contest this point. They feel there are no sufficient grounds to deny bail to the Junior Seer. 'We will knock on all the legal doors,' said one lawyer who is part of the defence team.
A Shanmugham, a lawyer for the Mutt, said they would go on appeal in the Madras High Court very soon.
Sri Vijayendra Saraswati has also filed a petition in the Madras High Court seeking anticipatory bail in the Radhakrishnan assault case, in which Kanchi Seer Jayendra Saraswati was arrested and later enlarged on bail. The petition is likely to come up for hearing tomorrow.
But those involved in the affairs of the Mutt are also worried that their energies are being wasted on firefighting and waging legal battles.
'We are unable to focus on our regular work and religious activities. That is hurting us very badly,' one source said.
CM gives cycles to BC, MBC girls too Saturday, January 29, 2005 | Editor
Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa presenting bicycles free of cost to girl students belonging to BC, MBC and denotified communities at the Secretariat today. Chief Secretary Lakshmi Pranesh looks on.
From the current academic year onwards, girl students belonging to backward classes, most backward classes and denotified communities studying in higher secondary courses in all government and government-aided schools in the State will get bicycles free of cost.
Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa today extended the scheme to those students. Earlier, it was implemented for the girl students belonging to Adi Dravida community since 2001. Six girl students from various schools received the bicycles from the Chief Minister at the Secretariat.
As per the extended scheme, 2,49,750 girl students belonging to BC, MBC and denotified communities studying in 2254 higher secondary schools, would get the cycles free of cost. The total expenditure involved in this regard is Rs.44.76 crore, an official release here said.
TVS Motors turnover up by 20 per cent Saturday, January 29, 2005 | Editor
TVS Motor company recorded a turnover of Rs 815.23 crores in the third quarter ended December 2004 compared to Rs 681.93 crore achieved in the corresponding period last year, recording a growth of 20 per cent.
The profit before tax for the third quarter was at Rs 28.23 crore compared to Rs 27.50 crore achieved during the same period last year. The PAT recorded a marginal growth of three per cent, according to a press release issued by the company.
The total two wheelers sold during the Q3 stood at 3,22,412 units compared to 2,74,094 units sold during the same period last year, recording a growth of 18 per cent. During this period, the motorcycles grew by 25 per cent to Rs 2,03,245 units, scooterettes by 11 per cent to 56,803 and mopeds by three to 62,364 units. This growth in volume terms have led to a 20 per cent increase in turnover however, PAT grew only three per cent due to high marketing spends in the price sensitive competitive market coupled with high input cost.
During Q3 2004, the four stroke motorcycles industry witnessed a strong growth of 33 per cent, however, TVS Motor Company beat the industry trend by recording 55 per cent growth. The launch of TVS StaR has already filled the gap created by fall in demand for two-stroke motorcycles and the company will witness higher growths in coming months, when it is launched across the country.
The company recently launched TVS StaR in Tamilnadu and Andhra Pradesh to coincide with the 'Pongal' festival and will be available across the country by the end of February 2005, the release added.
Devathayai Kanden Saturday, January 29, 2005 | Editor
Malini Mannath
For the major part of the film it looks like a routine poor boy - rich girl love story. Beginning from the time when Uma, a college girl, falls for the simplicity of tea-boy Babu. There are the routine scenes of Babu's three friends indulging in comic antics to attract Uma's attention. It's another matter that all their antics fall flat, both where Uma is concerned and the audience too.
There are the villains who tease his girl, and Babu succeeds in bashing them up, despite his wiry frame. The scenes in the first part are noisy, crude and puts one off. Dhanush repeats what he's done in his recent releases, his voice modulation and his expressions that of a high school kid enacting a drama. It's high time that he tried some variations of his voice. Sridevi looks fetching in some suitable dresses, but wish she would put a little more energy in her performance. She comes out well in the scene where she has to make a choice between her lover and her suitor.
The turning point in the script comes when the affluent Dr Bala (Kunal), smitten by Uma, proposes marriage and her parents urge her to give it a thought. Weighing the pros and cons of a future with either of the men, some sensible, realistic scenes here - the practical Uma goes by her parents' wish. After tying in vain to coax her back, Babu drowns himself in sorrow and alcohol. From here the director takes inspiration from a Tamil film (Vidhi) including its ending too. Only the roles are reversed here. Whatever, the narration does pep up from this point, giving a much-needed fillip to the lagging script, the pace maintained till the end. In a way making up for the crudity of the earlier scenes. Dhanush too fares better in the emotional courtroom scenes.
It's his first directorial venture and the director can be appreciated for trying out something out of the routine here. If only he had polished up the earlier scenes too. As for the inspiration, even seasoned filmmakers unabashedly pick up whole plots or scenes from other films and pass it off as their own. Bhoopathypandian is just a debutant!
Rajnikanth looking for more film roles Saturday, January 29, 2005 | Editor
IANS
HYDERABAD: Tamil superstar Rajnikanth has scotched rumours that "Chandramukhi" will be his last film.
Rajni said he had just become "selective" about his films and was "looking for some variety in the commercial format".
Talking to IANS, soon after performing a religious ritual here for the Telugu version of "Chandramukhi", the superstar claimed the bilingual "Chandramukhi" would be "a different" film, though a commercial one.
Shooting for the film's Telugu version, produced by Karunakar Reddy and Parthasarsthy, will begin at the Ramoji Film City here after the cast is finalised. Jyothika is the only actress to be signed for the film so far. According to Rajni, hers will be an important role. "If 'Baba' (Rajni's last film that bombed at the box office) revolved around spiritualism, 'Chandramukhi' has a woman as the central theme," said Rajni.
Accused in ex-Tamil Nadu minister murder case committed suicide Thursday, January 27, 2005 | Editor
Ahmedabad, Jan 26 : One of the accused, wanted in connection with the murder of a former Tamil Nadu minister, died and another was battling for his life after they consumed poison following a raid by a joint team of Tamil Nadu and Gujarat police at their hideout in Vatva area here.
"The two were wanted for murdering former Law Minister Aladi Aruna," DCP Subhash Trivedi told PTI.
They were hiding in the city with a local contact in Vatva, which was raided yesterday, he said adding, they allegedly consumed poison.
Of the duo, Benny alias Benedict, the prime accused died in the L G hospital while the other is battling for his life, Trivedi added.
Aruna and his friend, a professor, were murdered at Aladivilai near Alankulam in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu, 150 km from Madurai on December 31 last. PTI
Tsunami hits celebrations in Tamil Nadu Thursday, January 27, 2005 | Editor
Chennai, Jan 26 : The Republic Day was celebrated on a low key in Tamil Nadu Wednesday, exactly a month after devastating tsunamis struck India's east coast killing thousands.
Governor Surjeet Singh Barnala hoisted the Indian flag and took the salute in a small march past by police and defence officers under a marquee at the Marina beach, which was a scene of utter destruction after Dec 26.
Chief Minister J. Jayalalitha also attended the celebrations.
The government had announced that the function would be without the traditional pageantry that accompanies Republic Day every year, in respect to the thousands who died in Tamil Nadu in the disaster.
The celebrations were low key also in memory of the 96 children who died in a devastating school fire in Kumbakonam town last year.
All cultural programmes were cancelled and no schools took part in the parade.
Security in public places has continued to be tight since Jan 23.
"As many as 5,000 policemen were on duty at the Marina beach road Wednesday," said R. Nataraj, the city police commissioner.
Surveillance cameras kept vigil. Bomb squads and sniffer dogs guarded railway stations and bus stops, amidst rumours that there could be a blast and another tsunami wave.
Normally, any function on the Marina beach road teams with people from adjacent fishing hamlets. But this time, it was without the fringe crowd and curious visitors.
The chief minister awarded a few police medals.
--Indo-Asian News Service
Chargesheet in assault case by month-end Sunday, January 23, 2005 | Editor
CHENNAI: The special investigation team (SIT) headed by SP K Premkumar is likely to file the chargesheet in the Radhakrishnan assault case by the end of this month.
According to highly placed sources, the SIT has almost completed the investigations in the case and the process of finalising the chargesheet has been set rolling.
Kanchi acharya Jayendra Saraswati is the prime accused in the case relating to the assault on Chennai-based auditor and a former associate of the Kanchi mutt S Radhakrishnan at his Mandaveli residence on September 20, 2002.
The acharya and nine others, including building contractor Ravi Subramaniam, Appu alias Krishnaswamy and Kathiravan, have been arrested in connection with the case and have been charged with offences under various Sections of the IPC, including Sec 307 (attempt to murder).
While the acharya, has since been granted bail in this case by the High Court, the other accused, all of whom are also accused in the Sankararaman murder case, are in judicial custody.
Karunanidhi’s poser to TN police Sunday, January 23, 2005 | Editor
CHENNAI: DMK president M Karunanidhi on Saturday asked whether the Tamil Nadu police would issue a summons to Lord Varadaraja Perumal to appear as a prosecution witness in the Sankararaman murder case.
Ridiculing SIT chief SP K Premkumar for performing special pujas at the Varadarajaperumal temple before filing the chargesheet in the case, Karunanidhi had a dig at him for saying that Lord Varadarajaperumal was an eyewitness to Sankararaman’s murder.
‘‘Can the testimony of Varadarajaperumal, who according to Premkumar is an eyewitness, be ignored? Will Varadarajaperumal be subject to cross-examination?’’ he asked.
‘‘If so, as a key witness, Varadarajaperumal will have to answer several questions during cross-examination. Did He not feel like preventing the murder that took place in front of him? After all wasn’t Sankararaman also your devotee? Couldn’t you have prevented his death? If you did not prevent it, why?’’ Karunanidhi asked.
By choosing the auspicious day and auspicious time to file the chargesheet even on a holiday on account of Bakrid, and by performing special pujas after keeping the chargesheet and other documents at the feet of the deity at the Varadarajaperumal temple, the police had proved that they were not far behind those in the Sankara mutt in their devotion to God, he said.
Mutt manager and Vijayendra's brother booked under Goondas Act Sunday, January 23, 2005 | Editor
KANCHEEPURAM: Within 24 hours of filing the chargesheet in the sensational Sankararaman murder case, the SIT police followed it up by slapping Goondas Act against Kanchi Shankara mutt manager Sundaresa Iyer and Vijayendra Saraswati's brother, Raghu.
Sources said, the orders for the detention the two persons under the Act was signed on Friday night by the district collector R Venkatesan, and was served on them at the Chennai Central jail, where they have been lodged after their arrest.
The order under Goondas Act, in effect, means that Raghu and Iyer will be in detention for a year without trial or bail, subject of course to confirmation by a review board, and is generally invoked against habitual offenders, goondas, land grabbers, drug and immoral traffickers.
The invocation of the act against Raghu and Iyer was very much in the air, after the police booked eight of the other accused in the Shankaracharya related cases under the Act.
Both Raghu and Iyer are key accused in the Sankararaman murder case and the auditor Radhakrishnan assault case. Iyer is additionally booked in the Kanchi mutt accounts tampering case also.
A top SIT source said the Goondas Act had been invoked against the two as the charges were of serious nature, and if proved, could invite even death sentence.
Incidentally, almost all the accused in the Sankararaman murder case, including the senior pontiff Jayendra Saraswati, are accused in the Radhakrishnan assault case also. However, SIT sources denied that there plans to invoke Goondas Act against any other accused.
Reacting to the invoking of Goondas Act, Y Thiagarajan, one of the senior counsel of the mutt, said none of the grounds normally used for detention under the Act was applicable to either Raghu or Iyer. “We will challenge it when it comes up before the Goondas Act Review Board,” he said.
The other accused in Sankararaman murder case who are slapped with Goondas Act are Kathiravan, Chinna alias Rajni, Ambi aluas Ambigapathi, Anil alias Anilkumar, `Mattu' Bhaskar, `Chinna' Kumar, Anandakumar and Meenakashi Sundaram.
Dual votes: DPI to create awareness at national level Sunday, January 23, 2005 | Editor
MADURAI: The Dalit Panthers of India (DPI) will launch a campaign to create awareness at national level on the need for granting the Dalits the right of dual votes to empower them politically, DPI general secretary Thol Thirumavalavan said here on Saturday.
He was delivering the presidential address at the party's conference on dual votes right for Dalits. He said there could be genuine democracy only if the oppressed communities elected their own representatives. So they were demanding reserved constituencies and the right to double vote.
The DPI was conducting seminars and rallies to create awareness and explain the rationale for the demand. So far, these seminars had been conducted in 15 districts.
Thirumavalavan said that local body elections to Keeripatti, Pappapatti, Nattamangalam and Kottakatchiyendal reserved panchayats could not be conducted for the past eight years and this impasse could be broken only with a dual votes system.
He said that the demand for double voting rights for Dalits was not one of recent origin. It was initiated by Ambedkar and Rettamali Seenivasan then itself. The DPI has been pressing this demand for the past 14 years.
For Indian democracy to be genuine, the Dalits should be provided the opportunity to elect their own representatives, in addition to electing general candidates. Dalits could progress economically only if there was political development for them. Under the present reserved constituency system, the Dalits will never get politically empowered. They would have to depend on other political parties, Thirumavalavan said.
He demanded that the government should enact a law to amend the election Act to provide reserved constituencies and dual votes system for Dalits. In order to create awareness at national level on this issue, his party would campaign all over the country. The first conference would be held in Bangalore during the first week of March followed by a seminar in Delhi.
He said that his party may change its political strategies but never compromise its principles. He asserted that he would never abandon the Dalit people for sake of any office.
The DPI would hold agitations to demand that Usilampatti area in Madurai district should be declared a violence-prone area and Dalits there be provided adequate protection, the DPI leader added.
PMK founder Ramadoss, president G K Mani, All India Moovendar Munnetra Kazhagam founder N Sethuraman, Balaprajapathi Adigalar and others spoke. Thamizhar Desiya Iyakkam leader Pazha Nedumaran, All India Nadar Peravai president Nellai Nedumaran and others participated.
DPI joint general secretary P Attralarasu welcomed and propaganda secretary V Kaniamudhan proposed a vote of thanks.
Music in Chennai air again Sunday, January 23, 2005 | Editor
[India News]: Chennai,Slowly leaving the ghost of the tsunamis behind, the city is touching its musical chords once again with a jazz festival and a concert for a cause.
Unwind Centre, the most happening place for English music lovers in the city, saw the two-day Jazz Revival 2005 festival feature two international bands and a workshop for music students.
"The main objective of the festival was to revive the tradition of jazz, which was fast fading away in the city. The two international bands that performed were from the US and Finland," Lijin Vergese of Unwind Centre said.
The performance was in partnership with the US consulate. A part of the proceeds from the sale of the CD of the music festival would be donated as aid for tsunami survivors.
Lijin also said that Evam, a theatre group that launched its own soundtrack called "Barefoot In The Park", would perform at the centre Jan 21.
Kathal Friday, January 21, 2005 | Editor
Starring Bharath .... Sandhya .... Aishwarya
Balaji Sakthivel is a talented director. Balaji proved his mettle in his earlier film “Samurai”, which went down well with Tamil masses. The man with the Midas touch is back, after a break, with another quality movie entitled Kathal.
Agreed, it is yet another love tale. But what makes Kathal stand out is the manner of presentation. It is a delectable entertainer set against the picturesque locales of Madurai in Tamil Nadu.
Like he did in ‘Samurai’, Sakthivel has not shied away from experimentation. And the cast gives him ample support. The result is a film that stays with you long after you have left the cinema hall.
Aishwarya (Sandhya) is the apple of her parents’ eye. Her father is a big shot – a wineshop owner. He is a bit of a gangster, too, feared and respected in the town. Then Cupid strikes. Doe-eyed Aishwarya falls in love, much to the chagrin of her parents, not with a boy of their expectations, but with Murugan (Bharath), who is a mechanic. It is a pleasant surprise for the illiterate Murugan, an honest and hardworking guy, who sets much store by values in life.
But the path of love is never smooth, as the saying goes. So, the lovers run into a hurdle. Aishwarya’s parents fix her marriage with a person of their choice. The lovers have no option but to elope. As luck would have it, they take refuge with a friend of Murugan in Chennai (Sukumar). With his help, they get married.
Then the plot thickens. The duo are tracked down, and sweet-talked into returning back home – of course on the condition that all would be forgotten and forgiven. Was the promise honored? That forms the denouement.
The spectacular success of Kathal is much due to the convincing performances Balaji has managed to get out of the protagonists, Aishwarya and Murugan. Bharath is no great shakes as an actor. But in “Kathal”, the youngster gets under the skin of his character and imbues his performance with a sincerity unsurpassed in his acting career.
It is a brilliant debut for Sandhya who plays the heroine. The tragic overtones of her character come out with telling effect. The talented girl has a bright future. There is no doubt about it.
There are also others who make their maiden reel appearance, too. For instance, Aishwarya’s father (S.Dandapani), and her chacha (Krishnamoorthy). Both acquit themselves very well. The boy assistant of Murugan in the workshop (Arun Kumar) makes an impressive cameo. Last but not the least is the refreshing comedy of Sukumar, who bears a striking resemblance to that ace comedian Vadivelu.
The quality of the film is enhanced by Vijay Milton’s excellent camera and Joshua Sridhar’s melodious music.
To sum up, Kathal is a whiff of fresh air on the Tamil film landscape congested with hackneyed plots and trite themes. It strikes a rich and responsive chord in the viewer’s heart. Therein lies the success of the film.
A must-watch movie.
It's Sneha vs Trisha in Mollywood Friday, January 21, 2005 | Editor
With Simran out and Jyotika getting ready to tie the nuptial knot, it is a toss-up between Trisha and Sneha for the top heroine slot in Mollywood.
The going was good for both Trisha and Sneha in 2004. If "Killi" did wonders to Trisha's career, Autograph gave a big boost to sexy Sneha. "Vasoolraja MBBS" in which she co-starred Kamal Haasan gave Sneha's career added impetus.
Therefore, the stage is set for a battle royal for the Number one position in the year 2005. Trisha is pinning hopes on her forthcoming film Tiruppachi", while Sneha has an ace up her sleeves: "Ayudham".
It is more or less a straight fight between the two as Jyotika is said to be cutting down on her assignments and getting ready for marriage.
Another contender, Sonia Agarwal has confined herself to acting in films featuring only Danush and Selvaraghavan.
The buzz in Mollywood is that as of now, Sneha has a slight edge because she is concentrating more on Tamil films.
Unlike Sneha, Trisha has not turned her back on Telugu filmdom. Reports have it that she is getting a number of offers from Tollywood.
Statue of Veerappan found on his grave Monday, January 17, 2005 | Editor
Coimbatore: A statue of slain brigand, Veerappan, has suddenly been found installed at his grave in Moolakkadu near Mettur in Salem district.
The three-foot mud statue bears a close resemblance to Veerappan, who was killed in an encounter on October 18 last year near Dharmapuri, in his usual olive green uniform, sporting a handlebar moustache and holding a rifle on his shoulder. The statue appeared early on Sunday morning, police sources said.
The news of the sudden appearance of the statue was attracting a large number of people in and around the area, they said.
Nanmaye sai, (do only good) was written on the statue.
The matter is being investigated, the sources said.
BJP accuses Jaya of defaming Kanchi Math Monday, January 17, 2005 | Editor
New Delhi: The BJP on Monday accused J Jayalalithaa of "defaming" the Kanchi Math in the name of secularism and likened the situation in the state to "Emergency".
The party accused Jayalalithaa of using police for a "desperate purpose of trying to revive the shrinking base of the ruling party". Full Coverage: Arrest of Shankaracharya
The saffron party raised questions over the absence of a "clear and categoric" stand by Congress and other political parties on "this major issue".
In a rejoinder to Jayalalithaa's statement that no religious head was above the law, BJP General Secretary and spokesman Arun Jaitley alleged at a press conference that the Chief Minister was "defaming the Kanchi Math and meting out injustice to a religious head in the name of secularism."
"Discrimination is no enforcement of rule of law," he said, charging that Kanchi Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati and Junior Shankaracharya Vijayendra Saraswati were being subjected to such a treatment.
Likening Jayalalithaa's rule to Emergency, he said that this was clear by her actions like arrest of the Junior Sankaracharya when the Supreme Court released the Kanchi Seer on bail and issuance of warrant against Jayendra Saraswati in a third case immediately after the Apex Court's decision.
All are equal before law, Amma tells PM Wednesday, January 12, 2005 | Editor
CHENNAI/NEW DELHI: Brushing aside once again the Centre's advice to tread cautiously on the Kanchi Sankaracharya issue, Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa on Tuesday dashed off a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, defending the arrest of the junior pontiff, Vijayendra Saraswathi.
She said her government's action of arresting the junior seer was "in furtherance of due processes of law" and the principle that "all are equal before law."
Responding to the PM, who had written to her last week counselling caution, Jayalalithaa dismissed his apprehensions that the arrest of Vijayendra Saraswathi, when the senior Sankaracharya is forbidden by court from going to the mutt, would break its daily puja tradition and hurt popular sentiment.
Taking the high legal ground, she reminded the PM that Constitution rendered everybody equal before law.
It could not be the PM's argument, she wrote, that while handling a conspiracy involving hired killers, the TN police should make a distinction between those who instigated, conspired and financed the murder inside a temple and those who carried it out. Nor could police extend special treatment to the pontiffs, she said. “It is relevant to point out that all of the accused face similar charges,” she said. “The public has greatly appreciated the principled stand of the TN government that all were equal before the law.”
Singh had written to Jayalalithaa on January 6, saying the Centre had the information that she planned to arrest the junior seer. If that happened, Singh had said, it would mean absence of both the pontiffs from the mutt and disruption of the daily puja. He reiterated his caution when he met her in Chennai on January 7.
The PM's advisory is interpreted as betraying the anxiety of the UPA coalition to buffer itself against any adverse fallout from the police action against the Sankaracharyas. Singh had also written to the CM soon after the senior seer's arrest.
VHP demands dismissal of TN Govt Wednesday, January 12, 2005 | Editor
New Delhi, Jan 11: Angered at the arrest of Junior Sankaracharya of Kanchi Mutt Vijendra Saraswati, VHP today announced to stage demonstrations and rallies across the country from tomorrow even as it demanded dismissal of the Jayalalithaa Government in Tamil Nadu.
The VHP will also launch a weeklong programme of "Hanuman Chalisa" recital up to district level from Thursday to protest the Tamil Nadu Government's "high-handedness", VHP General Secretary Praveen Togadia said.
Attacking Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, Togadia alleged she was behaving "irresponsibly" and demanded the case should be transferred to some other state as the state government and Tamil Nadu Police have "lost credibility".
"There is no credibility in the case against the Sankaracharyas. The charges against them are ridiculous," the VHP leader alleged.
Criticising the arrest of junior seer Vijendra Saraswati a few hours after senior Seer Jayendra Saraswati was released on bail by the Supreme Court, he said "it exposed the motives of Jayalalithaa".
"She has been behaving irresponsibly even earlier which was clear by the treatment she meted out to former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi," he alleged.
Togadia demanded immediate Central intervention and dismissal of the Jayalalithaa Government by invoking Article 356 of the Constitution, arguing "the Chief Minister is misusing the state administration and police for her ulterior motives." (Agencies)
VHP, Bajrang Dal activists burn Jayalalithaa's effigy Tuesday, January 11, 2005 | Editor
Kanpur, Jan 11 (PTI): VHP and Bajrang Dal activists today burnt the effigy of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa in protest against the arrest of junior Kanchi Sankaracharya Vijayendra Saraswati.
Demanding immediate dismissal of Tamil Nadu government, National Convenor of Bajrang Dal Prakash Sharma alleged that Jayalalithaa "wanted to capture Kanchi Mutt and for that they had arrested both Sankaracharyas".
"Jayalalithaa is working against Hindu saints", he said.
The saffron activists later burnt the effigy of Jayalalithaa by shouting slogans against her and the UPA Government.
Law taking Jayalalithaa's course in TN: Sushma Tuesday, January 11, 2005 | Editor
Vellore, Jan 11 (PTI): Coming down heavily on Tamil Nadu police for arresting Junior Pontiff of Kanchi mutt Vijayendra Saraswati, Senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj today alleged that law in the state was not taking its course but Chief Minister Jayalalithaa's course.
"Those, who say the law will take its own course should see for themselves that in Tamil Nadu, law is taking Jayalalithaa's course, which is unjust and unfair," Swaraj told reporters here.
The state Government's "efforts to shake" the people's faith in the Sankara mutt, had failed "because faith is not fragile," Swaraj, who was here to receive Kanchi Sankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi on his release on bail, said.
Earlier, speaking to reporters at Chennai, she said the arrest of the Junior pontiff was an assault on a religious institution. She demanded that the centre should issue a direction to the state, instructing it to deal with the case according to the Constitution.
The Government was making attempts to take over the administration of the mutt and wanted to install somebody amenable to it as the mutt chief, she alleged.
On the release of Jayendra Saraswathi, she said "It is the victory of truth and we will do our best. We will fight it out to the last to restore the glory of the mutt," she said.
'Anti-Hindutva' campaign
Kozhikode, Jan 11 (PTI) Kerala unit of the BJP today said the grant of bail by the Supreme Court to Kanchi Sankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati had `confirmed doubts that a serious campaign is on against Hindutva by targeting the centuries-old Kanchi Mutt'.
"The 17-page apex court order, which itself is quite unusual in a case pertaining to bail, has made it clear that the probe has failed to establish any evidence against the Sankaracharya even two months after arresting the Seer," BJP state President P S Sreedharan Pillai told reporters here.
The arrest of Junior Pontiff, Vijayendra Saraswati, soon after the Supreme Court order had raised apprehensions about the ongoing `smear' campaign against the majority community, he said.
Being the first to register its protest against the arrest of the Sankaracharya, Pillai said the Kerala unit would observe January 14 as 'Prayers day' to express its protest against the manner in which the mutt had been 'targeted'.
The BJP wanted the Congress and the CPI(M) to 'tender an open apology' as the former refused to react and the latter had welcomed the Acharya's arrest earlier, he said.
Junior Seer moves sessions court for bail Tuesday, January 11, 2005 | Editor
Kancheepuram, Jan 11 (PTI): Junior Pontiff of Kanchi mutt Vijayendra Saraswathi today moved the Chengalpattu sessions court seeking bail in the Sankararaman murder case, in which he has been arrested.
Senior lawyer Lakshmana Reddiyar moved the bail application on behalf of Vijayendra Saraswathi, who was arrested and remanded to judicial custody yesterday.
Meanwhile, the court would take up for hearing on January 13, the bail application of Raghu, brother of Vijayendra Saraswathi, while that of Sundaresa Iyer, Manager of the mutt, would be taken up tomorrow.
The bail peitition of the mutt's accountant Viswanatha Iyer, arrested on charges of tampering with the mutt's accounts, was rejected by a court here today.
Jayalalithaa for wall along the coastline to face tsunamis Tuesday, January 11, 2005 | Editor
PTI
CHIDAMBARAM: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa has proposed erecting a wall along the 1000 km coastline to face tsunamis in future but scientists feel that setting up mangroves might be a better and low-cost option.
It was a dense belt of mangrove that saved the village of Pitchavaram, famous for bird sanctuary lake near here, from extensive damage by the gushing tidal waves.
Scientists at the centre for advanced study in marine biology of the Annamalai University here are now contemplating the utility of replicating the belt along the entire coastline, a project, which will not only be more cost effective than the sea wall proposed by Jayalalithaa, but also sustain the natural bio-fauna.
"The mangroves have long since been called the 'green wall of the sea' as they provide protection from the waves," director of the centre, Dr T Balasubramanyam told the media.
"The coastal village of Pitchavaram was saved from the tsunami due to the mangrove it is surrounded by. If this can be replicated all over the coastline, in case of similar catastrophe in future, safety can be guaranteed," he said.
The 5000 crore sea wall project that Jayalalithaa has mooted to provide safety against tsunamis may well remain untested due to the unpredictability of such natural phenomenon. "However plantation of a bed of mangrove, which is not very expensive and is a breeding ground for shell fishes, small fishes and larvae will augment the fishing industry," he said.
A similar project has been undertaken at Pondicherry at the cost of Rs two lakh, Balasubramanyam said.
"We have received proposals for three further afforestation projects in the district after the tsunami," district collector Gagandeep Singh bedi said.
"We have carried out mangrove afforestation on an experimental basis in about 20 hectares at our institute and the result is excellent. In three to five years the trees grow to full height and the cost incurred would only be in conditioning the soil and keeping the cattle out who feed on this," Subramanyam said.
The sea life has not been affected much after the tsunami. "A survey is on by the research vessels of Sagar Sampada and the data will be compiled after a month to estimate the damage to marine life if any," he said adding the vessels are also testing the changes in quality and nutrients of water.
"The tsunami in a way has opened the mouth of the rivers wider here, which will facilitate fishing," he said.
For the first time, Kanchi mutt misses Dhanurmaasa pooja Tuesday, January 11, 2005 | Editor
UNI
KANCHEEPURAM: For the first time in the history of the 2,500-year-old Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam, the Dhanurmaasa pooja, performed during the auspicious Tamil month of ''Margazhi'' was skipped on Tuesday much to the anguish of mutt devotees and employees.
As per mutt tradition, only the ''Peetadhipathis'' or their juniors should perform daily poojas to Sri Chandramouleeswarar, the presiding deity.
A sombre atmosphere descended on the Sankara mutt as the daily routine came to a halt on Monday evening when the junior Shankaracharya, Vijayendra Saraswati, was also arrested by the special investigation team in the Sankararaman murder case.
The dramatic arrest came as a jolt to mutt followers, who were jubilant just a few hours earlier after hearing news that the Supreme Court had granted bail to senior seer Jayendra Saraswati in the case. The apex court had, however, imposed a condition that the seer should not enter the mutt till the charge sheet was filed in the case.
Faced with an extraordinary situation, when both the Shankaracharyas were away from the mutt, the devotees and functionaries were worried that the age-old customs and traditions, established by Adi Sankara, would be broken.
Reports that the senior pontiff could be arrested in a third case pertaining to the assault on ''Thirukoshtiyur'' Madhavan had also added to their anxiety.
Meanwhile, mutt functionaries have shifted the idol of Sri Chandramouleeswarar to the ''chinna mutt'' in Kalavai, about 35 km from here, where the senior pontiff was expected to stay till the charge sheet was filed in the murder case.
The seer, after his release from Vellore central prison, would proceed straight to the ''chinna mutt'' on Tuesday evening and resume his customary poojas after a gap of two months, mutt sources said.
Along with the idol, necessary pooja materials had also been taken to Kalavai, the sources added.
In the absence of the senior seer in the past two months, the junior had been performing the traditional poojas in the mutt until his dramatic and sudden arrest last evening.
Referring to Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's argument that the daily pooja of the mutt would not be disrupted following the arrest of the junior pontiff as there had been innumerable occasions when both the pontiffs had been away from the mutt, functionaries said both the seers had carried the idol of Chandramouleeswarar with them wherever they went and offered their prayers.
''But, the situation now is extraordinary where the two Shankaracharyas have been implicated in a murder case and lodged in prisons,'' they said.
Meanwhile, a tense situation prevailed near the mutt, where heavy police bandobust had been deployed. Some devotees alleged that they had been threatened and prevented from entering the mutt by police.
