The head of India's opposition Hindu nationalist party, Lal Krishna Advani, has agreed to take back his resignation as party chief, despite the internal dispute he triggered by praising the founder of Islamic Pakistan.
The Bharatiya Janata Party or BJP leader quit on Tuesday, after returning from a week-long visit to Pakistan, where he praised Mohammed Ali Jinnah as a secular leader who wanted Hindu-Muslim unity.
His statement drew criticism from Hindu hardliners who blame Mr. Jinnah for the bloody partition of the subcontinent into India and Pakistan in 1947, triggering Hindu-Muslim riots that killed more than one million people.
Press Trust of India says the decision by Mr. Advani to stay on as party leader is expected to be formally announced at a meeting of the BJP later Friday.
The Bharatiya Janata Party or BJP leader quit on Tuesday, after returning from a week-long visit to Pakistan, where he praised Mohammed Ali Jinnah as a secular leader who wanted Hindu-Muslim unity.
His statement drew criticism from Hindu hardliners who blame Mr. Jinnah for the bloody partition of the subcontinent into India and Pakistan in 1947, triggering Hindu-Muslim riots that killed more than one million people.
Press Trust of India says the decision by Mr. Advani to stay on as party leader is expected to be formally announced at a meeting of the BJP later Friday.