Friday, September 9 2005 09:38 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Seeking to distance itself from the latest controversy in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the wake of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's criticism of senior leader Madan Lal Khurana's expulsion by party Chief L K Advani, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) yesterday (Sept 8, 2005) said it was an 'internal matter' of the party.

"It is an internal matter of the party. We have no comments to make," RSS spokesman Ram Madhav told PTI.

He, however, declined to divulge details of the meeting senior BJP leaders Jaswant Singh and M Venkaiah Naidu had with RSS Joint General Secretary Suresh Soni amid speculation that they had conveyed Advani's willingness to step down from the top post.

Madhav also denied reports that RSS had conveyed to the party leadership its reservations over not being consulted on the disciplinary action against Khurana.