Sunday, July 17 2005 14:03 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Even as the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) mounted pressure on BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) president L K Advani to step down, its mouthpiece 'Organiser' today (July 17, 2005) carried several letters from readers praising Advani and defending his remarks on Jinnah in Pakistan.

"Hindutva as a bulwark force emerged on the political scene of our country because of the ingenuity of Advani alone. Advani laid the foundation of Katasraj Temple with the active sponsorship of ex-premier of Pakistan right in the heart of that country. It is only Advani who can do it," said a letter in the latest issue of the weekly.

Another reader said after reading Advani's entire speech, he could not find an iota of evidence of Advani praising Jinnah.

"When nothing was found objectionable in that speech, then from where these people got the information that Advani has praised Jinnah as secular?" asked the reader from Nagpur, where the RSS headquarters is located.

The magazine is widely circulated among RSS cadres, supporters and sympathisers across the country.

Asserting that Advani's remarks required to be judged in the context of historical hard facts and truths without any political bias or motive, another reader said, "After all, Jinnah perhaps realised later the evil effects of partition and wanted exchange of population for restoring peace..." A Hyderabad-based reader said, "What Jinnah assured in the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan was equal civil rights to every citizen - Muslims and non-Muslims alike."

There was only one letter, which described Advani's remarks in Pakistan as "Himalayan blunder."