Friday, January 20 2006 12:11 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Marking the party's return to the Hindutva fold, new Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Rajnath Singh in his maiden address today (Jan 20,2006) raised the Sangh Parivar's core issues, including Ram temple and abrogation of Article 370 even as he asked cadres to be careful about their conduct, morality and image.

Addressing the party's National Council meeting called here to ratify his appointment as party President, Singh also made a daring attack on the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government for its 'appeasement policy, politicisation of education, anti-farmer, anti-poor policies, erosion of constitutional bodies and defence of Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi,' among other issues.

Earlier, he was elected unanimously President of the party after his name was proposed by his predecessor L K Advani and seconded by senior leader Jaswant Singh.

Also present were former Prime Minister A B Vajpayee, and former General Secretary (Organisation) Sanjay Joshi, who had to resign last month in the wake of the circulation of a CD showing him in poor light.