Spiritual leaders assuming political power would be amount to

Spiritual leaders contesting elections and assuming political power would be tantamount to compromising their loftiness, Pejawar Mutt pontiff Vishwesha Teertha has said.

The seer was responding to Shiroor Mutt chief Sri Laxmivarateertha Swamiji's move to enter the electoral fray in Udupi in the May 12 assembly polls in Karnataka.

He said swamijis who win elections would be compelled to work under the instructions of a certain political party and obey the whip from them, which would dent the nobility of the seers.

The seer, who was speaking to reporters at Kundapur yesterday, was asked whether he would support the candidature of Shiroor Mutt Swamiji in Udupi.

The Pejawar Swamiji said he had always supported people who believed in the ideology of Hindutva. However, in a democratic system, parties reigned supreme as compared to individuals.

Any person who decides to fight election and win as an independent would not be able to do much on his own, he said, adding, the support of all political parties was required for the protection of the concept of Hindutva.

"Fighting the election is the independent decision of Shiroor Swamiji and I have nothing to say on the matter," he said.

The Shirur swamiji had expressed his intention to contest the election as an independent, but had said that if the BJP gave him the ticket, he would "happily accept it."