New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on August 21 categorically refuted the allegation that Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee had written a letter to then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi during the Emergency seeking pardon to gain release from prison and described it as "the biggest lie of the year".

"There cannot be a bigger lie. It is the biggest lie of the year. There is no such letter," asserted a visibly upset BJP Parliamentary Party spokesman V K Malhotra when asked about the allegation levelled by some Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leaders in this regard.

He said over 1.40 lakh people were imprisoned during the Emergency and several of them refused to take parole even on the death of their relatives or marriage of children.

Malhotra said so many letters are written by people in public life but "there was no such letter".

"May be some persons who were incarcerated might have written letters seeking apology," he added.

Lok Sabha Speaker Manohar Joshi is examining the contents of a letter purportedly written by Vajpayee, which was sought to be read out by RJD leader Raghuvansh Prasad Singh in the House during the debate on no-confidence motion.

RJD supremo Laloo Prasad Yadav had also made similar allegations against Sangh Parivar and BJP leaders outside Parliament.

PTI