Ranchi: Overcoming its dilemma on account of political compulsions, a poll-battered BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) today (Nov 24, 2004) chanted the "Hindutva" mantra by using the Shankaracharya arrest issue ahead of coming Assembly polls and warned political rivals against indulging in "anti-Hindu" politics.

Addressing the first national executive meeting after taking over as party president, L K Advani also blamed the "lack of proper and sustained coordination" between BJP and Shiv Sena at various levels for the saffron combine's defeat in recent Maharashtra Assembly elections.

"Discrimination on the grounds of religion is alien to our age-old culture and against out Constitution. But let every adversary of ours be warned: If anybody tries to take the cover of secularism to indulge in anti-Hindu politics and statecraft, the BJP will stand in their path like a rock, prepared to make any sacrifices," he said.

Advani, who was flanked by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and senior party leader Jaswant Singh, accused a section of Congress, the Communists and some other political forces with "conspiring to slowly but systematically erase the Hindu ethos of this country and obfuscate the basic Hindu identity of our culture and civilisation".

The BJP chief, who had assured the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) of returning to its core Hindutva constituency at its recent national executive in Haridwar, declared "the time has come to proclaim and to proclaim with all the courage of our conviction that India is secular principally because of its Hindu ethos.

"Remove this Hindu ethos and there will be no India left."