Monday, July 18 2005 17:21 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: BJP today (July 18, 2005) indicated that it could take disciplinary action against former Delhi strongman Madanlal Khurana for publicly demanding party President L K Advani's resignation.

"The party President is seized of the matter. Khurana issue is definitely a matter to be looked into seriously. The party President will take appropriate steps," BJP Spokesman Prakash Javdekar told reporters.

Sources said Advani was upset over Khurana's public statement not only demanding his resignation but also expressing inability to work under him.

As for others including former Presidents Bangaru Lakshman and Jana Krishnamurthy as also MP Pyarelal Khandelwal, who had demanded that ideological issues be discussed at the Chennai National Executive, sources said they had only demanded a debate though they could have avoided making it in public.

Sources said Khurana had defended Advani's Pakistan visit and had lavished praise on him as late as June 23 at Lakhanpur in Jammu. It was only after the party decided not to nominate him from Gujarat that he had changed his stand.