New Delhi, Sep 30 (IANS) In a first vocal opposition to a national role for Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, the Bharatiya Janata Party's saffron brigade leader Vinay Katiyar said Modi should focus on Gujarat.


Katiyar, a national vice-president of the BJP and also former head of militant Bajrang Dal, said there were lots of problems in Gujarat which needed to be tackled.

“There are a lot of problems in Gujarat. Modi-ji is doing good work, but he should first look at his own state and try to improve the situation,” said Katiyar on the sidelines of the party's national executive meet.

“Let Modi resolve issues in Gujarat, then the party will think about what needs to be done further,” he said.

The comments come on a day when Modi's absence from the meet exposed the rift between the Gujarat chief minister and party leader L.K. Advani - both prime miisterial aspirants.

Words of praise, however, came from two of the party leaders. While party general secretary Ravi Shankar Prasad called Modi “one of the main contenders” for the prime minister's post, party spokesperson Balbir Punj said he would prove to be the “best prime minister”.