New Delhi: In an apparent bid to placate the Sangh Parivar cadre ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chose Lord Ram's birthday today (Mar 30, 2004) to assert, albeit in a toned down manner, its commitment to 'hindutva', Ram temple and other pet issues like population control and ban on conversions.

Releasing BJP's 'Vision Document 2004', party president M Venkaiah Naidu said BJP will remain committed to NDA's (National Democratic Alliance) common minimum programme and the coalition's manifesto will be the guiding document for governance.

"BJP is a party with a difference with basic commitments and priorities for the coming five years and beyond," he said.

Interestingly, the party avoids any direct reference to its core issue of abrogating Article 370, which grants special status to Jammu and Kashmir, and alludes to it merely as "certain transient and temporary provisions".

The 48-page document emphasises on the need for a legislation to ensure that important offices of the Indian State can be occupied only by those "who are India's natural citizens by their Indian origin".

Far removed from the fury of its Palampur resolution through which the party took up the Ram temple agitation, the document emphasises on a resolution of the issue through dialogue and starting a new chapter in Hindu-Muslim ties.

At a high-level meeting with Sangh leaders, Vajpayee and the BJP top brass had agreed to incorporate core issues in its vision document. Besides being its strong vote base, the party relies heavily on the Sangh cadre for campaigning.