Senior Shankaracharya of Pragyag Peeth Swami Madhavanand Saraswathi on Friday demanded the resignation of Jayendra Saraswathi as the chief of the Kanchi Mutt following his arrest.

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The Kanchi seer should resign to protect the respect and dignity of the post occupied by him, he said. "It will save the reputation of the Hindu religion," Madhavanand Saraswathi told reporters in New Delhi.

However, he was critical of the Tamil Nadu government for keeping Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi in jail. He should have been kept under police guard at his ashram, the Pragyag Peeth seer said.

Madhavanand Saraswathi wanted a legislation to ensure that no religious heads, like the Shankaracharya, are
arrested. The Shankaracharya should be put on a par with the President and the prime minister, he added.

However, he was critical of political parties trying to get "political mileage" out of the arrest.