New Delhi: Anguished at Kanchi Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati being sent to police custody, top BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) leaders, including former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, today (Nov 19, 2004) complained to President A P J Abdul Kalam that the Tamil Nadu Government was treating him as a "convicted person" and he was being "incarcerated".

A BJP delegation, which also included party president L K Advani, sought evolving of "suitable guidelines" for dealing with cases in which religious personalities and institutions were involved.

Spotlight: Kanchi Jayendra Saraswati's Arrest

"We are deeply concerned at the manner" in which the Shankaracharya has been arrested and "incarcerated" on allegations of a criminal case, a memorandum submitted by the delegation to the President said.

Noting that the party was not commenting on the merits of the case and that law, before which all citizens are equal, must take its course, it said, "We share though the anguish and hurt sentiments of crores of Hindus of our country."