After BJP leader L K Advani projected Hindutva as a tolerant and accommodative philosophy, it was time for the RSS chief Mohan Rao Bhagwat to toe the same line.

“To call one a Hindu, one need not leave anything — neither religion nor identity,” Bhagwat said while addressing the Rashtriya Jagran Sabha (national awakening meet) at Jammu University here on Tuesday afternoon on the death anniversary of Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder-president Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee. “Hindutva says that all can live together. It is tolerant and accommodative. It does not have hatred towards any faith,” said the RSS chief.

Referring to problems facing the country, he said, “People all over the world are facing similar challenges. However, there are certain fundamentalist elements that are out to destroy Bharat. They want to enforce a single religion, a similar system of living and worshipping”.

The RSS chief said that they would not distance themselves from the word “Hindu” as it defined nationality. “Those calling us communal don’t make any difference to us (and) we have no hatred for those opposed to the use of the word Hindu”.

Earlier, BJP president Rajnath Singh, admitting that LS poll results were not up to their expectations, said Hindutva was there to stay. “Ideologies are not subject to change following one's victory or defeat, this ideology (Hindutva) has place for all.” Pointing out that Hindutva had an important role to play in both pre- and post-independence India, Rajnath said that the recent LS polls had maintained a bi-polar system, with the BJP emerging as the second largest party.