Lucknow: In what could be seen as a shift in its stand, the Rashtriya Swyamsevak Sangh (RSS) today (Dec 22, 2003) hailed Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav for promoting communal harmony and claimed he was "inching closer" to the Hindutva agenda.

"Mulayam has done a commendable job in promoting communal harmony and bringing people of all castes and religion together," regional RSS chief Ishwar Chandra Gupta told reporters in Lucknow.

Lauding the Chief Minister's stand on promoting Hindi and swadeshi, Gupta said, "Mulayam is inching closer to our (RSS) Hindutva agenda and sooner or later he would openly support us."

"There is a positive change in the attitude and behaviour of Mulayam Singh," the regional RSS Chief said but refused to elaborate further.

The sangh parivar had been extremely critical of Mulayam particularly after the police firing on Kar Sevaks at Ayodhya in 1990 during his previous regime.

The three-day meeting of Awadh region of RSS began yesterday (Dec 21) at Saraswati Shishu Mandir in Niralanagar in which senior RSS functionaries including its chief K C Sudershan are taking part.

When asked about the foreign origin issue of Sonia Gandhi, Gupta said that it was a non-issue for the RSS.

"It is up to Congress leaders to decide whether they want to project a foreign-born lady as next Prime Minister," he said.