Striking a distinctly toned-down posture in contrast to BJP leader Murali Manohar Joshi’s on Tuesday, NDA convenor George Fernandes said here on Wednesday that the NDA had ‘‘no role to play’’ in the Kanchi seer’s case. ‘‘But the NDA will not object if any of our alliance partners want to conduct protests,’’ he said. Fernandes arrived at the Math around noon after Chief Minister Jayalalithaa told the Assembly in Chennai on Wednesday morning, that the police had ‘‘shocking evidence’’ against the seer. Fernandes claimed he was visiting the Math’s junior pontiff whom he had known since the pontiff’s childhood. He had also been close to the late Shankaracharya Chandrasekharendra Saraswati, he claimed. Fernandes refused to comment on Jayalalithaa’s comment in the Assembly, saying the only point he wanted to make, was that the police violated Supreme Court guidelines while arresting the seer. He also evaded a question on if the NDA would seek a CBI probe into the case. ‘‘Who am I to ask for a CBI probe,’’ he countered. Police sources said today that Ambikasudhan, key accused in the case, who was absconding, surrendered before the court in Alanthur, Chennai, this morning. Sources in the Math said they had added a plea to the seer’s bail application, asking permission for the junior pontiff, Vijayendra Saraswati, to visit the seer in jail. Meanwhile, police willing to search the Math were turned away.
