Vajpayee defers Joshi issue

Contrary to expectations that Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee would resolve the controversy arising out of the resignation of Union Human Resources Development Minister Murli Manohar Joshi after his arrival here, Joshi's ordeal seemed to have prolonged for a day.

While Vajpayee held a one-hour meeting with Joshi and is learnt to have consulted Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani and other senior party members on the issue, there was no official statement from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). However, Joshi has challenged the Rae Bareli court's decision in the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court.

Sources in the BJP said Vajpayee would take a final view on the issue tomorrow, when the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court would hear Joshi's petition.

Challenging the Rae Bareli court's decision, Joshi has requested the court to stay the lower court's proceedings of framing charges against him. "If the high court takes a favourable view, Vajpayee will be in a position to ask Joshi to resume his work," confirmed a supporter of Joshi.

Vajpayee, after his arrival from a 13-day foreign tour, got bogged down in the factional feuds that have broken out within the Sangh Parivar after the court order.

The court acquitted Advani while implicating seven others, including Joshi, in the Babri Masjid demolition case. Joshi had tried to capture the high moral ground by offering to resign a day before the court's verdict. However, a section of leaders close to Advani did not approve of Joshi's suo motu action without taking the party into confidence.

Joshi after his meeting with Vajpayee today looked relaxed and cheerful. When asked about his discussions with Vajpayee, Joshi said he talked all aspects and sequence of events leading to his resignation, including the court's order. But Joshi was non-committal about Vajpayee's response to his resignation.

Though Joshi is learnt to have bared his heart to Vajpayee and registered his protest over the manner in which the BJP is being run, Vajpayee has called a meeting of Advani and other BJP leaders to discuss the issue thread-bare. BJP president M Venkaiah Naidu will meet Vajpayee tomorrow.

As it appears, Vajpayee is worried about the possibility of an adverse political fallout of Joshi's resignation in the forthcoming polls. According to BJP sources, tomorrow's meeting is aimed at evolving a mechanism to resolve the dispute.

Significantly, all top RSS leaders stayed away from Delhi to dispel the impression that the Sangh Parivar is taking sides in the BJP's infighting. The RSS has already made it clear Joshi's resignation falls in the Prime Minister's domain.