Raipur, June 29: BJP today rejected VHP`s demand for resignation of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and his deputy L K Advani if they fail to bring in a legislation for the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya, saying it is not on NDA agenda. "The 1999 parliamentary elections were fought on the NDA agenda which did not talk about a legislation for the settlement of the Ayodhya dispute and hence there is no question of resignation of Vajpayee or Advani or seeking a fresh mandate," BJP general secretary Pramod Mahajan told reporters here.
Mahajan`s response came a day after VHP leader Ashok Singhal demanded the resignation of Advani if Vajpayee did not allow him to bring forward a legislation on the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya.
Though BJP is for a legislation on the issue, it was not possible to take such an initiative as the government was of the NDA whose common minimum programme for governance is silent on the issue, he said.
Asked about Singhal`s statement that several NDA partners seemed to agree on a legislation, Mahajan said if Samata Party leader George Fernandes and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee were in favour of such a move "they should declare it publicly and not VHP."
"The meeting would also discuss the organisational elections, to be completed by November next. But in the states, which are going to polls this year-end, no organisational election will be held considering the local situation there,” Mahajan said.
Meanwhile, the office bearers of Chhattisgarh BJP, in a meeting here today reviewed party`s `Parivartan Yatra`, which was undertaken from June one to 18.
A `Sankalp Sammelan` would be held here on July 20, in which 10,000 office bearers would vow to remove the Jogi government from Chhattisgarh, Mahajan added. Bureau Report