Varanasi: BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) today (June 26, 2004) maintained that there was no rift within the NDA (National Democratic Alliance) over the party's decision to revert to 'Hindutva'.

"There is not rift within the NDA over the issue," BJP General Secretary Rajnath Singh told reporters in Varanasi when asked whether the decision at the party's National Executive in Mumbai to revert to 'Hindutva' had any effect on the alliance.

"BJP does not believe in caste or religion based politics whereas the so called secular parties are playing caste and religion cards repeatedly," he said. "Hindutva should not be linked to any religion."

To another question, Singh said former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee "is the tallest leader of BJP and there is no one in the party who matches him. There is no dispute over the leadership of Vajpayeeji who will continue to lead the party in future also."

He termed as "undemocratic and politically motivated" the move to pressurize the Governors appointed by the NDA to resign. However, he did not answer when asked whether the Governors appointed by the NDA Government would resign.

Singh claimed that the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) was likely to split after the presentation of the general budget and its Government would fall within an year due to its own contradictions.

Criticising the Mulayam Singh Yadav Government in Uttar Pradesh, he said the law and order situation in the State was at its "worst and no one is safe in the state."

Asked whether BJP would favour use of Article 356 by the UPA Government in UP, he parried the question saying the Mulayam Goverment would fall on its own.

To another question, he said BJP would have no truck with either the BSP (Bahujan Samaj Party) or the SP (Samajwadi Party) in UP.

BJP's organisational elections would be completed within two months and after that a strong movement would be launched across the country against the Manmohan Singh Government, he added.