Manali: Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee today (Jun 17, 2004) emphatically stated that "Gujarat" will be discussed at the party's forthcoming National Executive in Mumbai.

"We will discuss Gujarat in Mumbai. We will discuss it with an open mind. We discuss (such issues) both after victory and defeat. We will not be afraid of discussion," he told a public meeting in response to a question from the audience.

Vajpayee did not explain what he meant by Gujarat when he said it will be discussed in the Mumbai meeting from June 22 to 24.

On Sunday, the former Prime Minister had created a flutter in the Sangh Parivar when he said that the issue of removal of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi would be discussed in the National Executive and that he had personally favoured his removal in the wake of post-Godhra violence.

Vajpayee had also on arrival in Manali said that Gujarat violence could be one of the reasons for the party's Lok Sabha election debacle.

Surprisingly on Monday senior party leaders met in Delhi after which BJP president Venkaiah Naidu ruled out removal of Modi and discussion on the Gujarat issue in the Mumbai meeting.