Kolkata: Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) international general secretary Pravinbhai Togadia yesterday (Dec 14, 2004) flayed the Tamil Nadu Government for opposing the bail petition of Kanchi Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati and said that ''it was out to establish the Seer as a murderer''.

''One of the prime accused in the Ghatkopar blast, which claimed 13 lives, was granted an interim bail but the Shankaracharya was refused bail,'' Togadia said at a meeting in Kolkata to mark the 30th anniversary of Vishwa Hindu Varta, the monthly journal of VHP.

He alleged that even before the judicial trial, TN police was trying to establish the Seer as a criminal and a murderer through media campaign. ''The police did not file affidavit to the court even after claiming that the Seer had confessed his crime.''

Criticising the Jayalalithaa Government for paying compensation to the family of Sankararaman, Togadia said that compensation was paid only in case of railway or other such accidents but not to the family of a person who was killed.

Togadia claimed that the Shankaracharya who had opposed the conversion, had been the target of "anti-Hindu forces".

He said that when parties like CPI (Communist Party of India), CPM (Communist Party of India Marxist) and Samajwadi Party (SP) Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav commented on Shankaracharya's arrest, it was surprising that Congress president Sonia Gandhi remained silent on the plea that the matter was sub-judice.

But she did not hesitate to comment on the Ramjanmabhoomi issue and cases in Gujarat, which were also sub-judice, the VHP leader said.