New Delhi: In the midst of a debate after Gujarat, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on February 11 said hindutva was neither a religion nor a way of worship but encompassed all sections of society.

"Hindutva is not a religion but a philosophy which encompasses all irrespective of caste or creed and it is timeless," he said at a function in the party office in New Delhi to mark the birth anniversary of Deen Dayal Upadhyaya, founder of the erstwhile Bharatiya Jana Sangh.

He said that all humanity is one and no section of society or any part of the country can be ignored and that debate would go on whether we are following the right path to achieve our goal.

"We may have different views on issues but that doesn't mean that we have strayed as each have a different path to follow," Vajpayee said.

"There is need for introspection rather than worry," he said adding that there was need to adopt a holistic approach as envisaged by Upadhyaya.

PTI