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Bharatiya Janata Party acting president Jana Krishnamurthy described the tehelka tapes as a conspiracy to defame the BJP and destablise the Union government.
Speaking to newsmen soon after assuming responsibility, Krishnamurthy praised former president Bangaru Laxman, who resigned following the expose.
"Laxman in keeping with the fine tradition of our leaders resigned on moral grounds. Although the charges against him are baseless, as any inquiry will prove, he chose to quit," said Krishnamurthy.
"The central office bearers met Wednesday and considered the resignation and accepted it. Being the senior-most vice president I have been asked to take charge," he added.
He accused the opposition of hatching a conspiracy to malign the BJP and the government. "This (the tehelka tapes) is a conspiracy by those which feel frustrated by the government's success. They are not only trying to destablise the government but the country itself. The BJP will accept this challenge along with its NDA partners and frustrate this attempt," he said.
He refused to comment on whether Defence Minister George Fernandes should also resign. "Ministers come under the prime minister and it is for the prime minister to decide," he said.
He said he was not aware of Mamata Banerjee's reported letter to the prime minister, in which she has asked for Fernandes' resignation.
He denied that the image of the party had suffered due to the expose.
When asked whether journalists carrying brief cases would be banned from the party office, he said, "Let us see what happens next," with a huge smile.
Former Delhi chief minister Sahib Singh Verma, who was also present, accused Congress goons of attacking the party headquarters and pelting stones. "The Congress brought goondas to attack BJP leaders," he alleged. He also accused the police of tear-gassing BJP workers and beating them mercilessly while Congress activists were allowed to go scot-free.
The Congress on its part accused the BJP of fomenting trouble. "A journalist was hit on the head by a stone thrown from the BJP headquarters. The wind-screen of a journalist's car was also smashed by BJP hoodlums," a senior Congress leader alleged.
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