BN will not meddle in the MIC leadership battle currently being fought between G Palanivel and Dr S Subramaniam, both claiming to be the party's chief.

BN secretary-general Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said advice has been given to MIC, but it has gone unheeded.

"We have spoken to them, gave them some solutions and repeatedly advised them. They just won't listen. What can we do?

"So we leave it to them, they think they would be able to solve the problems themselves.

"Of course we are concerned about what is happening in MIC, but I believe both parties can solve it amicably," Tengku Adnan ( photo ) told reporters at the Parliament lobby today.

In an immediate reaction, MIC Youth leader C Sivarraajh said BN must intervene.

"BN cannot wash its hands off the MIC crisis because MIC is part and parcel of the ruling coalition and has been so since 1957.

"The MIC is an integral part of the nation’s history," he said in a statement.

Sivarraajh said BN cannot afford to leave it to the two groups to decide.

"They might kill each other," he added.

Studying MIC's constitution

Tengku Adnan said BN will only step in if MIC requests for it by writing to Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

"As the secretary-general of BN, I will advise them to think rationally and unite, because the Indians need MIC to give all their support," said the federal territories minister.

Earlier yesterday, party president Palanivel suspended his deputy Subramaniam. Several hours later, the number two announced that he is now the acting president.

Subramaniam ( photo ) had chaired a MIC interim central working committee (CWC) which affirmed that Palanivel's membership was automatically revoked the moment he took the Registrar of Societies (ROS) to court without obtaining an approval from the CWC.

Nevertheless, BN is studying MIC's constitution following the latest fiasco to know how best to proceed, revealed Tengku Adnan.

He also denied the internal rift within BN's third-largest component party would threaten the unity of the ruling coalition.

"We believe that in the end, we will be consolidated. We are not like the opposition, they are a very loose coalition. We have strong binding, I am not worried," he said.

When asked if Palanevel's position as cabinet minister would be affected, he said it was up to the prime minister to decide on that .