The RSS top-brass today advised the BJP leadership to make at least some movement on the Hindutva agenda to inspire the Parivar rank and file to work for the success of the party in the elections.The advice came at a meeting attended by Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee, Deputy PM L.K. Advani, RSS Sarsanghchalak K.S. Sudershan, BJP chief M. Venkaiah Naidu and RSS joint general secretary Madan Das Devi, in charge of the BJP, at 7, Race Course Road. BJP plays its foreign hand New Delhi: Within a day of having said that ‘‘people may make Sonia Gandhi’s foreign origin an issue’’ in the polls, the BJP has itself undertaken the job. Party chief M. Venkaiah Naidu targeted Sonia’s foreign origin here while general secretary Pramod Mahajan did so at Pune. Naidu told members of the BJP legal cell at the party headquarters here: ‘‘The PM should be a person who is our own national, acceptable to the whole nation, have the capacity, vision and experience to lead the nation and is a perfect statesman. India is fortunate to have Shri A.B. Vajpayee as the PM as he has all these virtues. ’’ BJP, which might have waited till the polls to take on Sonia, has struck now, keeping in view her decision to try cobbling together an alternative alliance at the Centre. Its aim is to scare away her potential allies. ENS Two prominent religious leaders, Swami Madhvacharya and Swami Vishvesh Teerth of the Pejawar Mutt were also present for a while. The Sangh’s move is intended to boost the BJP poll prospects on the one hand and to secure peace between the BJP and the VHP on the other. Thanks to the RSS intervention, VHP working president Ashok Singhal has toned down his rhetoric against the BJP.The Hindutva agenda includes the contentious issues of Ayodhya, a common civil code and abolition of Article 370, which the BJP had put on the shelf for the formation of the NDA. The agenda also includes a ban on cow-slaughter. Ideally, the Sangh wishes that the BJP contests the next elections on its own agenda, rather than the common minimum programme of the NDA.Consequent to the RSS persuasion, the BJP leadership has agreed to consider the VHP demand for a legislation to facilitate the construction of the Ram temple at Ayodhya. Devi said the three options for the resolution of the Ayodhya dispute are a court verdict, negotiations and a Parliamentary legislation. He claimed the ‘‘BJP would consider the proposal (for a legislation to facilitate construction of the Ram temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya) sympathetically at its forthcoming national executive meeting at Raipur.’’BJP general secretary Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said: ‘‘We would discuss all issues at Raipur. Ayodhya would be naturally among them.’’ Since consideration does not mean acceptance, it may imply no change in the BJP stance that a legislation on the temple is not ‘‘feasible.’’Devi emphasised that ‘‘no new road map’’ is being considered, though ‘‘new proposals may be considered.’’ The RSS chief also conveyed to BJP leaders the VHP’s ‘‘concerns and expectations’’ and asked them to ensure that the outfit is not neglected in any initiative to solve the Ayodhya dispute. To this, Naqvi said: ‘‘The VHP would be involved in the effort at an appropriate time.’’
