New Delhi: Even as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) decided to step up the Ram mandir movement in the wake of the report of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), they asked the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) to refrain from its criticism of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.

"We have asked the VHP leadership to refrain from criticising the Prime Minister, though there is no objection to their carrying on a campaign for the construction of Ram temple," highly placed sources said.

This comes following the recent strident criticism by VHP president Ashok Singhal of Vajpayee and it was felt that this stand of the Parishad would not help the Parivar.

The meeting between the top BJP and RSS leaders lasting over four hours had helped in ironing out differences and ensuring that there was "good coordination among them".

"The top leaders of the BJP and RSS have been interacting regularly and this has led to better coordination among them and at today's (September 13) meeting it was felt that all the nationalist organisations should remain united and not act in a manner which would harm their image," the sources said.

PTI