Talking to the reporters at the Burlton Park stadium here this afternoon, Badal also hinted that the state council of ministers would be expanded ``soon'' and rebutted the statement of state finance minister, Kanwaljit Singh, published in a section of press today that the size of the government would be pruned down.

Badal however, ruled out the inclusion of five pro-Tohra ministers who had tendered their resignations after the outbreak ofhostilities between the two leaders, into any future Cabinet expansion. ``It (the matter of their inclusion in Cabinet) depends on circumstances. After all, they have willingly resigned from the Cabinet,'' Badal said, without disclosing the date for the expansion.

The Akali Dal chief categorically said that the Shiromani Akali Dal was the supreme body and its supremacy over the SGPC was beyond doubt. ``The SGPC members have got elected into the SGPC on Akali Dal tickets,'' Badal said.Favouring holding a common stage by the SAD and the SGPC at the Jor mela, Badal said anybody talking of separate stages cannot be a well-wisher of the party.

According to UNI reports, he, however, indicated that other Akali factions led by Simranjit Singh Mann and Kuldip Singh Wadala did not constitute ``our (SAD and SGPC) common entity'' and thus indirectly ruled out participation of the factions led by Mann and Wadala.

Regarding the show cause notice served by the party on Tohra for breaching party discipline, Badal said,``The action on the notice will be considered at an appropriate time''. Badal also denied that the Central BJP leadership or the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah had at any time offered mediation to bring about reconciliation between him and Tohra. ``There have been no talks either with the Central BJP leadership or with Abdullah on the issue,'' he claimed.

The Chief Minister said that the state government had sent the proposal seeking amendment in the State Human Rights' Commission Act to the Union government.