Shimla, Aug 20 - While most Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, who are here for a three-day meeting to introspect on what ails the party, Thursday maintained a studied silence on the dramatic sacking of senior leader Jaswant Singh, there is unease in sections of the party over the decision.

Several partymen believe Singh should not have been expelled, recalling the way the BJP internalised its seniormost leader L.K. Advani's praise of Mohammed Ali Jinnah in 2005 during a visit to Pakistan.

Jaswant Singh also hailed the founder of Pakistan and for which he has been scalped, wondered a senior Himachal Pradesh BJP leader, who unsuccessfully contested the 2004 parliamentary elections. Singh was telephonically informed Wednesday that he had been sacked and told not to attend the introspection meeting.

'A debate is on within the party regarding the double standards on the Jinnah issue. When party leader L.K. Advani spoke in praise of Jinnah, it maintained stoic silence,' he said.

'Now Jaswant Singh said the same thing in his book, it created a flutter. This proves the double standards of the party,' he remarked.

Few other leaders were willing to speak even on conditions of anonymity, but those who did seemed to be bitter.