New Delhi: Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on April 22 asked party Members of Parliament (MPs) not to air their views publicly on the value added tax (VAT), though the issue has been agitating them.

"Whatever views you have, convey these to the Deputy Prime Minister or the Finance Minister, but do not air them publicly," Vajpayee told the weekly meeting of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Parliamentary Party.

This was stated by party spokesman V K Malhotra to reporters.

The VAT issue had figured at a meeting of top BJP leadership held at the Prime Minister's residence on April 20.

On problems faced by sugarcane farmers in Uttar Pradesh, Vajpayee said a meeting would be convened in this regard by Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati and BJP MPs from the state would participate in the meeting, Malhotra said.

Finance Minister Jaswant Singh said it was not right to blame the Centre for imposition of VAT.

The decision to impose VAT rested with state governments, he said.

PTI