It was a tactical reference to that speech which Advaniji cited... now to compare two people is not fair.'

Jaitley, the party's leader in the Rajya Sabha, said Jaswant Singh's views on Muslims that they felt themselves aliens in the country were also contradictory to the core ideology and belief of the party.

Asked if disciplinary action could be taken against a party leader without issuing him a show-cause notice, Jaitley said: 'The parliamentary board (the party's highest decision making body) has a right to do it. If somebody contests the elections against the party, he is immediate expelled without giving any notice.

'Even the party president has the prerogative to take action,' he clarified.

On taking action just two days after the book's launch, Jaitley said: 'On the day after the book's release, the party president clarified the party's stand on the issue and the next day members of the parliamentary board met. Looking at the gravity of the situation, the parliamentary board took action.'

On the ban on Singh's book in Gujarat, he only said: 'It is the right of the state governments and all depends upon them.'

He refused to reply to media's queries on the introspection session.

'I am not here to answer any queries on the chintan baithak. Party president Rajnath Singh would brief the media after the conclusion of the session (Aug 21).'

On the submission and discussion of party leader Bal Apte's report regarding the party's debacle in the Lok Sabha elections, Jaitley said: 'I am categorically stating that I have not seen such a report. Even my friend Ananth Kumar (who was sitting next to him during the press conference) has not seen (the report).'