Is the venerable seer in harmony with the Sangh? Ever since he renewed efforts to resolve the Ayodhya tangle, Kanchi Shankaracharya Shri Jayendra Saraswati has raised the hackles of the VHP and RSS which see him as a usurper of their Ram mandir territory.
The VHP is also sore with the BJP top leadership for encouraging the Shankaracharya to seek a solution that excludes them. That's why VHP president Ashok Singhal lashed out at Prime Minister Vajpayee again, demanding he resign for his failure to bring about a legislation to build the Ram temple. "Vajpayee was the only person in the BJP and Sangh parivar opposed to the Ram temple movement," he thundered recently. He also rubbished the seer's mediatory efforts.