An impression is being created by our rivals that all is not well under the BJP Government. But this is not true. There have been attacks on the Christians earlier also such a hue and cry was never raised. As against a national average of 230 attacks per year, there were only 60 such incidents last year. The opposition does not realise the harm they are causing the country on international fora.

But the difference this time is that the violence is reported tobe perpetrated by members of Bajrang Dal and the VHP.

It's a lie being spread by our rivals. The latest incident being the allegation levelled by Orissa Chief Minister to save his chair. Dara Singh, the main accused in Keonjhar incident in which an Australian priest was burnt alive with his two children, was associated with Congress ministers and not Bajrang Dal, as the Congress is trying to make it out. Anyway, law and order is a state subject and the Chief Minister should own moral responsibility for its deterioration.

Don't you think there is some truth in Madan Lal Khurana's allegations that a section of the Sangh Parivar was working to destabilise the Atal Behari Vajpayee Government?

It's the BJP and not Sangh Parivar which is running the Government. We do share a common perception but there is no interference in running the Government. The RSS is a source of inspiration for the BJP and we are proud of it.

The RSS is only a source of inspiration, it does not control the BJP. Let mestress, the BJP is in no way related to Sangh Parivar. We are not controlled from Nagpur (RSS headquarters). They even do not want to control the Government. They have their own views and we are not bound to go by their views. Our affiliates are exactly what the Centre of Indian Trade Union (CITU) to the CPM Government in West Bengal. CITU stages dharna to demand higher wages but that does not mean that they are destabilising the Jyoti Basu Government.

A number of BJP leaders have RSS background, and they keep on shifting from one wing of the RSS to the other, including the BJP.

The RSS and the BJP, I already told you, are not wings of each other. They are our well-wishers not enemies and there can be interchange between freindly organisations.

But what do you do when some BJP MPs having RSS or Vishwa Hindu Parishad background, like Uma Bharti, start opposing party's economic policies.

Nobody criticised the Government's policies whether on Patents Bill or Insurance RegulatoryAuthority Bill after a decision had been taken by the party to table it in Parliament and our stand explained to party MPs. Criticising before its contents are explained does not amount to indiscipline.

How do then, you react to incessant criticism of the Government from parties supporting it?

Allies have their own opinion of the RSS. They cannot be told to love us and love our friends. They are free to express their views on the RSS but we wish they should discuss such matters in coordination committee meeting of the coalition Government and not in the media. We are gradually evolving the dharma of coalition and all constituents will have to learn to adhere to it.

Why is there so much disenchantment within party cadre against the Government, which even reflected itself in Bangalore national executive meeting of the party?

It was a free and frank discussion where we discussed our shortcomings that were responsible for electoral setbacks we received in Delhi and Rajasthan and how torectify them. We also planned our strategy to contest the Goa, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka Assembly elections due in November this year. There were absolutely no differences among the participants.

Why did the Prime Minister then have to assert the Government's supremacy over the party?

The Prime Minister just wanted to say that there was need for consultation between the party and the government but due to his adherence to the National Agenda of the coalition Government, he should have the last say in matters of Governance. Since the party too accepted National Agenda we have to abide by it. There was indeed a need for consultations on issues beyond National Agenda. Kushabhauji too announced his reluctance for back-seat driving because the driver in this case, belongs to the BJP.

You have been asked to coordinate between the party and the Government. When is the coordination committee going to be formed?

The committee is not the issue, coordination is. The process of coordination hadbeen set rolling immediately after the Bangalore session. But we want to keep only on informal level. We could form a formal committee at a later stage, as and when the need arises.