Thursday, June 9 2005 15:11 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president L K Advani continued to maintain a studied silence as senior party leaders called on him through the day urging him to withdraw his resignation.

"He listened to us patiently but did not respond, we are confident that he would withdraw his resignation keeping in mind the sentiments of all party workers," senior party leader from Uttar Pradesh Kalraj Mishra said In New Delhi, after meeting Advani.

Mishra, who was accompanied by party leaders from Haryana, said efforts were on to persuade him to withdraw his resignation through an amended resolution to be passed by the BJP Parliamentary Board later this evening (Jun 9, 2005), which could take into account his sensitivity.

The Uttar Pradesh leader even went to the extent of defending Advani on the issue of praising Pakistan founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah saying it was a "political act meant for the people of Pakistan."

Asserting that the entire party was with Advani on the issue, he criticised certain leaders of the Sangh Parivar for using offensive language against him.