Raipur: Setting the tone for party's three-day national executive, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president M Venkaiah Naidu on July 18 sought to play the soft 'hindutva' card, daring Congress for an open debate on secularism even as he asserted that Ram temple could not be a poll issue.

"Hindutva is the soul of India. We are proud of it, but it cannot be an election issue nor can 'hindutva' be projected as a narrow concept.

"We are committed to secularism, but we are opposed to pseudo-secularism and appeasement for garnering minority votes," Naidu said in his inaugural address at the executive meeting, which began on July 18.

The executive, which is expected to pass a resolution on Ayodhya and draw up the party's strategy for the coming Assembly elections, is being attended by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani and over 150 delegates.

Taunting the Congress of once again taking out its "rusted and blunted weapon of communalism", and calling for formation of an alliance of "self-styled secular parties" to defeat the BJP, Naidu challenged the Congress saying, "We are in the least bit worried by their shrill propaganda that the BJP is an anti- secular party. We are prepared for an open debate on secularism."

He asked the Congress to answer "a few uncomfortable questions" and clarify its stand on issues, such as whether or not it wanted the Ayodhya issue to be resolved with the construction of the Ram temple at the 'janmasthan' (birthplace) and whether or not the party high command agreed with the assertion made by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijay Singh that 'hindutva' was not a religious concept.

PTI