Tuesday, December 27 2005 11:33 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Mumbai: Differences between L K Advani and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) yesterday (Dec 26, 2005) appeared to provide the backdrop to the five-day Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national convention as the Sangh fount head asked the party not to deviate from its ideology in a bid to reach out to a wider section of society while the outgoing party chief made no reference to Hindutva.

Addressing a function to release a book on BJP's 25-year political journey, RSS Joint General Secretary Madan Das Devi said, "We understand that BJP wants to reach out to a lot of people. But I can tell you if BJP is able to remove its shortcomings, rectify its mistakes and has complete trust and faith in ideology, certainly people will trust and it will grow, reach out everywhere and play its role."

Devi said the Sangh had no selfish interest other than to see BJP as a 'good, strong party.'

The Sangh's homily assumes significance as it comes ahead of Advani stepping down as the party chief paving the way for a second generation head after RSS had asked him to step down in the wake of the controversy triggered by his controversial Jinnah remarks.

In his address, Advani heaped lavish praise on RSS but suggested, in a veiled recall of his remarks at Chennai national executive, that RSS should not 'remote control' BJP.

To drive home his point, Advani reminded the audience, including Devi, that when Shyama Prasad Mookerjee had approached the then RSS Chief Guru Golwalkar for setting up a party, the latter said Sangh would not directly involve itself in politics but would depute its volunteers for the task.

Advani, in his inaugural address to BJP national executive which began here yesterday, made no reference to ideology or his controversial remarks on Jinnah though he did list the visit to Pakistan in 2005 among the 12 'defining years' in his political career spanning over five decades.

"I commend these qualities to all of you once again self-confidence, dedication, discipline, commitment, hard work and determination. And the inborn desire to see that India emerges as a great nation. With these qualities, we can achieve revival and bounce back stronger than ever," he said with out making any reference to ideology in the last national executive session to be presided by him.

That Advani continued to remain isolated on Jinnah issue also became clear when responding to questions on the Pakistan founder and expelled leader Uma Bharti, BJP General Secretary Pramod Mahajan told reporters that since the names being taken are not good, I don't want to mention them in the evening.

Asked whether he considered Jinnah's name as 'not good,' he said that is what the entire country thinks. Let him (Jinnah) rest in peace.

In an apparent reference to his isolation in the party in the wake of the Jinnah episode, Advani told the executive, "We have collectively learnt a lot from our journey during these 25 years. For me too, it has been a period of great learning, more particularly the year just about to end."

While Madan Das Devi said BJP was a 'party of ideology,' Mahajan maintained the party was not personality-oriented.

"Ours had been a yatra of ideology. Vajpayee and Advani are like Ram and Lakshman for us but we have not engaged in any personality worship. They have only been symbols of our ideology," he said.

He, however, conceded BJP was a victim of the perception between reality and public image.