Top BJP leaders meet PM

PTI,
NEW DELHI, JAN 10 (PTI)

Top BJP leaders including Atal Bihari Vajpayee tonight met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and expressed their protest over the arrest of junior Seer of Kanchi Vijayendra Saraswati.

"We expressed our concern that after the Supreme Court granted bail this morning to the senior Shankaracharya, Vijayendra Saraswati was arrested in the evening. It seems that this is a fallout of the anger of Tamil Nadu Government to the granting of bail by the apex court", BJP President L K Advani said after a 45-minute meeting with the Prime Minister. Former President R Venkataraman led the delegation.

Advani said the Prime Minister told them "we share your concern".

The BJP leader said the Prime Minister told the delegation that he had received representations four days ago from some people in Tamil Nadu apprehending the arrest of the Junior Seer and that it would be an obstacle to the traditional prayers at the Mutt which had been on for the last 2,500 years. Senior BJP leader Jaswant Singh was also part of the delegation.

Advani said the Government side which also included Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Home Minister Shivraj Patil told them "whatever is legally possible would be done".