Tuesday, December 6 2005 20:43 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Firmly shutting its doors on expelled leader Uma Bharti, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today (Dec 6, 2005) ruled out any scope for her to appeal against the disciplinary action even as former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee rebutted her charges that the party was 'anti-OBC' and its top brass have been 'hijacked.'

"We have not received any letter from her but even if a letter comes, the Parliamentary Board can take a decision (on expelling her)", Disciplinary Committee Chairman and former Union Minister Ram Naik said in Mumbai clearly hinting that the former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister's fate has been sealed.

In Delhi, Vajpayee said that there was no truth in Bharti's allegation that four hijackers (second generation leaders) have controlled the plane, which had the former Prime Minister and party President L K Advani as pilots and party workers as passengers.

"The party is moving forward at its own pace. It is going ahead with the goal in front of it. Nobody has hijacked anybody," he told reporters on the sidelines of a function at the party headquarters to observe the 50th death anniversary of B R Ambedkar.

Asked about Bharti's attack on Advani over the Jinnah issue, he said, "That chapter is over. It is not proper to discuss it any further."

On Bharti's charge that the party was 'anti-OBC', he said, "There is no truth in it".

To a query about the leadership change in BJP, Vajpayee said Advani has already declared his intention to step down and the party need not share its plans with the media.

Meanwhile, some supporters of Uma Bharti, led by former Bihar MLA Ramakant Pandey, staged a demonstration at the Jantar Mantar here protesting against her expulsion from the party. Without specifically naming any leaders and apparently referring to Arun Jaitley, Pramod Mahajan, Sushma Swaraj and M Venkaiah Naidu, with whom Bharti had been at odds, he said 'baseless leaders' were deciding on the fate of mass leaders and this would harm the party in the long run.

The protesters raised pro-BJP and pro-Bharti slogans.

Pandey described today's protest as a "trailer" and said the real strength of the expelled leader would be demonstrated the day she arrives in the capital.

In Ahmedabad, while declining to comment on the party's decision, former BJP ideologue K N Govindacharya, who is considered close to Bharti warned, "bisaat bichchi hai, aage aage dekhiye hota hai kya. (the plan has been laid out, just wait and see what happens in the coming days).