Wednesday, August 10 2005 11:57 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President L K Advani and senior leaders of the party, having Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) background, today (August 10, 2005) attended a 'Guru Dakshina' ceremony here, the first such event since relations were strained between both the outfits over the Jinnah issue.

The leaders, including former BJP President Venkaiah Naidu and Pramod Mahajan, joined a number of party MPs for the early morning RSS 'shakha,' especially organised for the lawmakers, at BJP leader V K Malhotra's residence here.

The participants saluted the saffron flag (Dhwaja Pranam) and offered an unspecified amount of cash in a sealed envelope as 'Guru Dakshina' (offering to the teacher).

Though it is an annual feature, the ceremony this year assumes significance as it comes close on the heels of RSS demand for Advani's resignation as party President for his controversial statements in Pakistan on Jinnah.

The media was strictly kept out of bounds for the function where RSS National Executive member Sripad Shastri, known for his ideological oratory, gave a lecture to them.

BJP leaders, after attending the ceremony, however, refused to attach any special significance to this year's guru dakshina saying it was an annual affair.

"We don't consider any person as guru and that is why we pay obeisance to the saffron flag. Swayamsevaks offer money to Sangh in this ceremony as the organisation does not collect donations from each and everyone," Naidu told reporters.

"It is an annual event and since the MPs are in Delhi during this period of the year for the Parliament session, the ceremony is held here," Naidu said.

Asked whether the Saffron outfit's policy of putting ideology first contradicted with BJP's personality culture, he said, "BJP is a political party and it has a separate identity. It has to project personalities."

He said BJP and its policies were not discussed at the function. "It is a Sangh programme and we went there as Swayamsevaks," he added.

BJP leaders said the lecture by Shastri revolved around Sangh ideology, which promotes sacrifice, patriotism and commitment to the society in general.

"We are all Swayamsevaks and we will continue to follow its ideology till out last breath. We have learned a lot from RSS and will never severe ties with it," BJP Karnataka Unit President Ananthkumar told reporters.

Guru Dakshina is an annual ritual of the RSS in which Swayamsevaks from all fields participate and is viewed as a reaffirmation of their commitment to the Sangh ideology.