New Delhi, Dec 22 : Stepping up its campaign on the Sankaracharya issue, an NDA delegation led by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee today met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, accused the Tamil Nadu Government of declaring an "all out war" against the Kanchi Mutt and urged him to take up the matter with Chief Minister Jayalalithaa.
The delegation, which also included Leader of Opposition L K Advani and BJP Deputy Leader in Rajya Sabha Sushma Swaraj, submitted a memorandum to Singh demanding among other things that the Seer be shifted from Vellore jail and "interned in some guest house" as he is "an accused and not a criminal".
During the 20-minute meeting, the Prime Minister, who was accompanied by Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Home Minister Shivraj Patil and senior officials, shared his concern and quoted from his earlier letter to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, BJP Rajya Sabha Member Balbir Punj, who was part of the delegation and who led an NDA study team to Kanchi and Vellore, told reporters here.
When Singh read out excerpts from Jayalalithaa's reply to him stating that "proper facilities, treatments and courtesies" were being extended to the Seer, Vajpayee pointed out that there were "lot of differences" between the assurances given in the letter and the reality, Punj said.
"The Prime Minister assured us that he shared his concern and he will do whatsoever is allowed and permitted within the Constitution and parametres of law," he said.
The NDA delegation also included six members of the study team. PTI
Friday, December 24, 2004
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