Refusing to retract the comments he made in Pakistan, former Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishn Advani resigned yesterday as president of the Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party. Within hours of being asked by Sangh Parivar to "review" statements he made in Pakistan, Advani called Sanjay Joshi, RSS point man in the BJP, to his residence and handed in his resignation. In the letter of resignation addressed to Sanjay, written "just before departing from Karachi," Advani said: "I have decided to request the party to relieve me of presidency — I have taken this decision after pondering the matter very carefully — I have not said or done anything which I need to retract or review." The Sangh Parivar, or the conglomeration of Hindu groups, did not take kindly to Advani expressing regret over the demolition of the Babri Masjid and describing Pakistan founder Mohammed Ali Jinnah as a "great man" who espoused the cause of a secular Pakistan.