Kancheepuram: Attempts were being made to bring a bad name to Kanchi Mutt by arresting Jayendra Saraswathi, a member of the NDA (National Democratic Alliance) team, which arrived in Kancheepuram today (Dec 15, 2004) on their way to Vellore to meet the Seer in prison, said.

Talking to reporters before calling on the Junior Acharya Vijayendra Saraswathi at the Mutt, the member Balbir Singh Punj said, "Efforts are on to wilfully bring a bad name to the Mutt and tarnish its image. The inmates of the Mutt are simple persons, unexposed to the world. They are naturally isolated after the case."

He said the team would 'strive to shift the case outside the State as there is no fair play here'. Punj said they had obtained permission from the State Government to meet the Shankaracharya at the prison. Their visit to the Mutt was to express solidarity with the Mutt and to assess the situation after the Acharya's arrest.

He said the police was responsible for 'selective leaks to the media, calculated to hurt the Mutt's image'.

The Mutt lawyer Y Thyagarajan said the team also spoke to the Mutt employees and inmates, who were questioned by the police in connection with the murder case.

The team later left for Vellore to meet Kanchi Seer Jayendra Saraswathi in prison.