Leader of Opposition Lal Kishenchand Advani on Wednesday ruled out taking back his resignation as Bharatiya Janata Party president.
"I am thankful to my party colleagues, including Mr (Atal Bihari) Vajpayee, who wanted me to rescind my decision to resign from the post. My decision stays," Advani told reporters after meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
The meeting was to brief the prime minister on his visit to Pakistan that raised the hackles of the Sangh Parivar over his description of Paksistan's founder leader Mohammad Ali Jinnah as secular.
Bharatiya Janata Party's parliamentary party and office bearers will meet on Wednesday evening to request Lal Kishenchand Advani to take back his resignation as party president.
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Read our complete coverage on Advani's Pakistan visit
Earlier, sources close to Advani had also said he will not reconsider his decision.
"There is no question of Advaniji taking back his resignation," an aide close to Advani told rediff.com on Wednesday morning.
Asked if the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief K Sudarshan had spoken to Advani before he tendered his resignation, he said that no conversation happened either over phone or through a messenger.
"This was his personal decision and no one except members of his family was involved. Advaniji had no idea that his statement on Mohammad Ali Jinnah will kick up such a storm that he would be labelled as anti-Hindu or anti national by certain leaders of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad.
"He was deeply hurt by these remarks and hence he tendered his resignation. The only person whom he consulted was former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who stood by him. Advaniji went to see him and thank him for his support," he added.
Spokesman for RSS Ram Madhav too confirmed that there was no interaction between Sudarshan and Advani on the controversial statement on Jinnah.
"Sarsanghchalak did not speak to Advani. But we conveyed our feelings to Advaniji through our reaction in the media. His statement on Jinnah terming him as a secular leader was against the sentiments of the Sangh. But we did not pressurise him to resign. It was his personal decision. We have nothing to do with the internal politics of BJP," Madhav said on phone from Madhya Pradesh.
WITH PTI INPUTS
