Dehra Dun: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on September 28 said the issue of resignation of Human Resources Development Minister Murli Manohar Joshi from the Union Cabinet was likely to be settled by September 29, after a meeting between him and Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and asserted there was no rift between Joshi and Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani.

"The Prime Minister is returning tonight from his foreign tour. Joshi is certainly going to meet him and discuss the issue, most likely, the issue will be sorted out by tomorrow," BJP general secretary Pramod Mahajan told reporters in Dehra Dun.

Joshi had resigned after the Rae Bareily special court ordered framing of charges against him in the Babri Masjid demolition case. Advani had been let off in the case.

Mahajan said the BJP had repeatedly made it clear that there was no need for any leader to resign as it was a political case.

To a question, he said there was no rift between Advani and Joshi.

Asked whether Joshi was being considered an 'untouchable' in the party after his resignation, Mahajan shot back that if some leaders were not meeting Joshi, it did not mean that he was an untouchable.

"I am meeting you after a long time, am I an untouchable now?" he told reporters.

Asked whether the BJP would challenge the Rae Bariely court verdict, Mahajan said the party would not approach court itself but would extend full support to the leaders in this regard.

"We will give full support to all BJP leaders if they challenge the court's orders," he said.

PTI