Bharatiya Janata Party president Nitin Gadkari on Monday sought to deny any kind of confrontation with the party by the tainted Karnataka chief minister B S Yeddyurappa in the letter he wrote for a party panel to first establish charges levelled against him before asking him to resign.

He told a press conference here that he spoke to Yeddyurappa who assured him that he will follow whatever decision he takes as the party president. In his letter to Gadkari, Yeddyurappa wanted his arch rival and BJP general secretary H N Ananth Kumar to probe the charges against him, with Karnataka affairs incharge general secretary Dharmendra Pradhan and former BJP president M Venkaiah Naidu.

As regards the Lokayukta Santosh Hegde indicting the chief minister for the illegal iron ore mining, Gadkari said the party will take "appropriate action" only after the Lokayukta report is received and studied.

He asserted that he has never taken a political decision nor will he take it on the basis of perceptions when repeatedly asked on the fate of Yeddyurappa. Asked if he was calling the central parliamentary board's meeting to decide his fate, the BJP president quipped: "Did not feel necessary."

Gadkari was asked if any disciplinary action awaits BJP vice-president Shanta Kumar, a former Himachal Chief Minister, for publicly advocating removal of Yeddyurappa as it embarrasses the party taking different stand.

He said the party matters should be discussed only on the party forum and it is totally improper to make any off-the-record remarks. "I have spoken to Shanta Kumar and told him so," Gadkari added.

Asked if he stands by his earlier statement to take action against Yeddyurappa if there is any indictment by the supreme court, the high court or the Lokayukta, he said his stand remains unchanged but he can not be expected to act on the Lokayukta report which has not yet been submitted.

When told that the party's fight against corruption is weakened by shutting eyes to corruption allegations levelled against one of its chief ministers, Gadkari shot back that he has never said that no action will be taken against Yeddurappa.

On former telecom minister A Raja also naming the NDA regime's BJP ministers in the 2G scam hearing, he quoted Lok Sabha Opposition leader Sushma Swaraj declaring in the House that the BJP is ready for the joint parliamentary committee (JPC) also probe the telecom decisions of the NDA regime. "If the Congress wants, there can be inquiry right from 1947. We have no problem," he added.