New Delhi: In a new twist to the leadership controversy in Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), senior party leader and Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Murli Manohar Joshi on June 6 said the party had not taken any decision to project Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee as 'Vikas Purush' (man of development), limiting his appeal and it was only the personal view of BJP president Venkaiah Naidu.

A day after Vajpayee called Naidu and asked him to ignore media reports on the controversy following his remarks that Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani would lead the party to victory, Joshi said, "I don't think the party ever decided to project him as 'Vikas Purush'. The party president (Naidu) might have said it".

"I don't think the executive committee of the party or policy making body of the party has ever decided that he (Vajpayee) is Vikash Purush or that Purush," said Joshi, who apparently does not share good political equations with Advani.

The HRD Minister said he did not know how it was decided in the party to tag this concept of 'Vikas Purush' with Vajpayee.

"I think it is the personal perception of Naidu about Vajpayee. I don't think anywhere in last executive meeting or any meeting of election committee or parliamentary board we have decided Vajpayee should be projected as Vikas Purush.

"Vajpayee is not only Vikas Purush, he is our leader. He represents the development, guidance and leadership. He represents the some total personality of BJP and also of National Democratic Alliance (NDA). So to limit him to a small segment of political and economic development was never discussed in the party".

PTI