Sankararaman murder case

Following the arrest of the seer, former prime minister [[Atal Bihari Vajpayee]], former president [[R. Venkataraman]] and leaders from different political parties held a protest in [[New Delhi]] condemning the arrest while the DMK party chief [[M. Karunanidhi]] welcomed the arrest and appreciated Tamil Nadu police however, he soon changed his stance, suspecting "personal vengeance and motives" by Chief Minister Jayalalithaa behind the manner of arrest, rather than genuine legal action [https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/dmk-chief-finds-something-fishy-in-seers-interrogation/articleshow/931327.cms#:~:text=%22Though%20I%20welcomed%20the%20arrest%20of%20Jayendra,could%20be%20due%20to%20personal%20enmity%2C%22%20Karunanidhi]. Vajpayee met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and asked that Saraswathi be moved to "some decent guest house". The [[Bharatiya Janata Party]] and the [[Sangh Parivar]], which have been waging a battle against the seer's arrest with their "Hinduism under threat" slogan failed to create any significant response. There was very little public response except Brahmin groups performing yagnas and lighting lamps. The then Prime Minister [[Manmohan Singh]] advised the state government to handle the case with care, considering the political tension surrounding it. The [[Vishwa Hindu Parishad]] (VHP) organised a nationwide [[bandh]] to protest the arrest. The Democratic Progressive Alliance made massive demonstrations in many areas of the State to protest against the BJP's attempt to communalise Saraswati's arrest.

Following the arrest of the seer, former prime minister [[Atal Bihari Vajpayee]], former president [[R. Venkataraman]] and leaders from different political parties held a protest in [[New Delhi]] condemning the arrest while the DMK party chief [[M. Karunanidhi]] welcomed the arrest and appreciated Tamil Nadu police however, he soon changed his stance, suspecting "personal vengeance and motives" by Chief Minister Jayalalithaa behind the manner of arrest, rather than genuine legal action [https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/dmk-chief-finds-something-fishy-in-seers-interrogation/articleshow/931327.cms#:~:text=%22Though%20I%20welcomed%20the%20arrest%20of%20Jayendra,could%20be%20due%20to%20personal%20enmity%2C%22%20Karunanidhi]. Vajpayee met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and asked that Saraswathi be moved to "some decent guest house". The [[Bharatiya Janata Party]] and the [[Sangh Parivar]], which have been waging a battle against the seer's arrest with their "Hinduism under threat" slogan failed to create any significant response. There was very little public response except Brahmin groups performing yagnas and lighting lamps. The then Prime Minister [[Manmohan Singh]] advised the state government to handle the case with care, considering the political tension surrounding it. The [[Vishwa Hindu Parishad]] (VHP) organised a nationwide [[bandh]] to protest the arrest. The Democratic Progressive Alliance made massive demonstrations in many areas of the State to protest against the BJP's attempt to communalise Saraswati's arrest.

The AIADMK government led by Jayalalithaa was defeated (61/248 seats) in the 2006 Tamil Nadu assembly elections in spite of alliance with DMDK, a strong contender even till 2026. The arrest of the Kanchi seer was viewed as a major factor in this defeat, particularly due to the perceived anti-Hindu sentiment and the fallout with the Brahmin community and other devout Hindus.

==Impact on Kanchi Mutt==

==Impact on Kanchi Mutt==