New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today (Jun 5, 2004) toughened its stand on the issue of induction of "tainted" ministers into the Manmohan Singh Government and decided to "take it up strongly" when Lok Sabha begins debate on the Presidential address from Tuesday (Jun 8, 2004).

"We will take up the issue of tainted ministers strongly inside and outside Parliament and specially after the manner in which the ruling party members did not allow the Leader of Opposition L K Advani from speaking in the House yesterday," BJP Parliamentary Party Spokesman Vijay Kumar Malhotra said after a meeting of top party leaders at the residence of Advani.

He said that a strategy would be worked out on Monday (Jun 7, 2004) at a meeting of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leaders after the President's address.

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"We will take a strong stand on the issue and a strategy would be worked out at a meeting of NDA leaders slated for Monday evening," Malhotra said.

Today's meeting was attended by former ministers Jaswant Singh, Sushma Swaraj, Ananth Kumar and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh and new members Navjot Singh Sidhu and Manvendra Singh and Rajya Sabha member S S Ahluwalia.

"The image of the Manmohan Singh Government is suffering with the induction of these tainted ministers and it is also affecting the national prestige and self-respect," he said.