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National Democratic Alliance coordination committee spokesman Murasoli Maran on Wednesday brushed aside Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee's reported demand that Defence Minister George Fernandes resign in the wake of the tehelka.com expose.
Briefing reporters outside the prime minister's Race Course Road residence where the NDA meeting was held, Maran pointed out, "All the NDA constituents share Mamataji's concern but we will amicably sort out the matter."
He refused to confirm that the Trinamul chief had already sent her letter to the prime minister by emphasising that, "That's all there is to it, she and her party are very much part of the NDA."
Thereafter, Maran walked out and drove away, ignoring a flurry of questions from reporters.
Contrary to a report in a TV channel that Fernandes had resigned over the raging 'defence deal' controversy, the defence minister attended Wednesday's meeting.
Later talking to reporters, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pramod Mahajan contended that no NDA partner had demanded Fernandes' resignation and that all of them were determined to counter the Opposition "propaganda" against the Vajpayee government.
Mahajan claimed that although all allies had various queries, they unanimously expressed their solidarity with the government.
BJP spokesman Vijay Kumar Malhotra said that the final outcome of the NDA coordination committee meeting was in "consonance" with the BJP parliamentary party meeting Wednesday morning where party MPs supported Union Home Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani's assertion that they must unitedly counter the Opposition's vicious propaganda.
However, the fact that no Trinamul Congress member was present in the meet indicated that Mamata might have hardened her stand.
According to Malhotra, the Telugu Desam Party had conveyed its "full support" to the Vajpayee government and its chief Nara Chandrababu Naidu " is very much with us."
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