The Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday launched a three-day nationwide agitation to protest the arrest of Kanchi Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi by the Tamil Nadu Police in a murder case.

Complete coverage: Holy man in a controversy

BJP chief Lal Kishenchand Advani early in the morning started a day-long fast in New Delhi as part of this agitation.

Top party leaders, including Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Najma Heptullah and Varun Gandhi, have joined him.

Terming the Shankaracharya's arrest as an "assault on religion", Swaraj said the fast is being observed to pray for his well-being.

Senior leader Murli Manohar Joshi will observe a day-long fast on Sunday followed by Jaswant Singh on Monday, she said.

Former prime minister and National Democratic Alliance chairman Atal Bihari Vajpayee will participate in a demonstration on Monday, Swaraj added.