Monday, January 10 2005 14:28 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: The BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) and the Sangh Parivar today (Jan 10, 2005) welcomed the Supreme Court's decision to grant bail to the Kanchi Shankaracharya while accusing the Tamil Nadu Government of making a "planned effort" to tarnish the reputation of the Seer and the Mutt.

"We welcome the decision of the court. A planned effort was being made to tarnish the reputation of the highly respected Seer. We hope that the nefarious designs of the vested interests would be exposed in the coming days," BJP Vice President Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said.

He accused the ruling parties at the Centre and the State of "silently supporting" such efforts.

Welcoming the Apex Court's decision, RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) spokesman Ram Madhav said that the arguments in the court showed that the State Government's arguments to prevent bail to the Shankaracharya was weak.

"From the outset, we have maintained that these are baseless allegations and the Seer should be given an opportunity to face the challenge," he said.

Accusing the State Government of indulging in "baseless propaganda to tarnish the image and reputation of an ancient Hindu institution," Madhav expressed the hope that the Mutt would take the initiative to remove the apprehensions in the minds of the people.

"We are with the Mutt," he said.

Welcoming the Supreme Court move, VHP (Vishwa Hindu Parishad) Senior Vice President Acharya Giriraj Kishore said, "Finally justice has been given to the Seer though delayed."

BJP leader and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee also welcomed the grant of bail to Kanchi Sankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati, saying that it had vindicated the stand of his party and alleviated the "pain in the hearts of millions of Hindus". He also added, "It is with an immense sense of relief and satisfaction, shared by millions of my country men, that I greet the news," of bail granted by the Supreme Court to the Seer.

Vajpayee said the Apex Court order "vindicated our stand, right from the beginning of the case that, whereas the law should take its own course, there should be no justification for treating the Shankaracharya as a convicted criminal".