The pontiff holds no post in the party — Avadi Ravichandran, a businessman associated with the Kanchi Math, is designated the founder-leader. The party, for the time being, has no plans to contest elections, but it does have a manifesto: A law banning religious conversions, another one to ban cow slaughter and shifting of administrative powers over temples from government to private organisations.
"This is not merely a party," said the Sankaracharya, showering flowers on the party flag that shows a raised fist on a saffron circle against a red backdrop. "This is a movement to get people to practise divine bhakti, to alienate all the evils surrounding us and let people lead a clean and happy life," he said.
"This is not merely a party," said the Sankaracharya, showering flowers on the party flag that shows a raised fist on a saffron circle against a red backdrop. "This is a movement to get people to practise divine bhakti, to alienate all the evils surrounding us and let people lead a clean and happy life," he said.
