Thursday, June 9 2005 20:18 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Fissures in Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to the fore today (Jun 9, 2005) with senior party leader Murli Manohar Joshi saying Pakistan's founder Mohd Ali Jinnah was not secular and there should be no dilution of the basic ideology of the party.

The former HRD Minister, considered close to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and known detractor of L K Advani who raked up a controversy by his remarks on Mohd Ali Jinnah in Pakistan, emphasised that he would not like dilution of the "basic ideology" of the party and had conveyed this to other leaders.

"I have told the party leaders, including M Venkaiah Naidu, that basic ideology (of the party) should not be diluted in any resolution that may be adopted (by the party urging Advani to withdraw his resignation)," Joshi told reporters New Delhi.

Virtually setting the stage for a stormy meeting of Parliamentary Board and Central Office-bearers tomorrow, Joshi, without naming Advani said, "Jinnah can in no way be termed as a secular man. The party has to keep its ideology in mind when it takes any decision."

To a question, he said, "This is an issue between the one-nation theory and the two-nation theory. How can we reconcile?"

He said his differences with Advani were "ideological" and not personal.

Joshi is understood to have made his views clear at yesterday's meeting of BJP Parliamentary Board and Central Office-bearers.

Joshi, who met Advani yesterday, is also believed to have even asked him why he made such remarks. Advani is said to have preferred not to comment.