L.K. Advani resigned from the president of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), India's major opposition party, Tuesday over his remarks praising Pakistan founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah, Indo-Asian News Service reported.

In a signed statement to BJP general secretary Sanjay Joshi, Advani said he stood by his statements made during his week-long visit to Pakistan.

During his visit to Jinnah's mausoleum in Pakistan Saturday, Advani praised the Pakistani leader as a "creator of history" and his statements before the country's constituent assembly in 1947. His remarks have roused controversy and rage among Hindu hardliners in India.

Source: Xinhua