Seer's arrest disgraceful: Advani

Bharatiya Janata Party president Lal Kishenchand Advani on Monday described Kanchi Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi's arrest as "disgraceful".

At a public meeting in Chennai to condemn the arrest, he said it was not an attack on an individual, but on an institution with a glorious tradition.

He recalled that Adi Shankara had established the Kanchi mutt. "It was Adi Shankara who conceived India as a cultural identity and nation. The great institution with glorious traditions has been now treated in a disgraceful manner," he said.

"Let the law take its own course, but the treatment given to the religious leader is disgraceful. This kind of attitude or treatment would not have been given to any leaders from other religions," he said.

Advani said he only prayed that "wisdom dawns on those who rule. People's anger should be given due respect.

Advani said he had called on seer at Vellore Central Prison and found him to be in good spirits.

He said during his 50 years in public life, he had seen two critical situations: the 1975 Emergency and the seer's arrest.

Earlier, after his meeting with Jayendra Saraswathi's Advani said his party had called off its agitation to protest against the arrest after a Kanchipuram court refused to extend his police remand.