In a clear disapproval of recent actions of Hindu fundamentalists, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Wednesday night said it would be better to "keep a distance" from the kind of Hindutva being practised by some now.
Speaking at a book release function in New Delhi, he said, when Swami Vivekananda spoke of Hinduism, nobody called him being communal. "But now, some people have defined Hindutva in such a manner that it is better to keep a distance from it."
He said Hindutva should not be equated with religion as it was "a way of life" which kept on evolving itself. "We should keep away from such Hindutva which is stagnant, which does not move ahead with time. Hindutva is not a religion, it is a way of life," he said after releasing a book written by senior BJP leader K R Malkani.
Stating that dharma does not mean `religion`, Vajpayee said, "the word `religion` narrowed down our conception of dharma and we cannot equate both."
Malkani, whose book is a compilation of articles written by him on various issues, said India was "not a soft state but a strong state. We may believe in non-violence, but have never neglected India`s defence needs."
He also sought "re-writing of Indian history" saying it should not be "king-centric but people-centric".
Home Minister L K Advani, Information and Broadcasting Minister Sushma Swaraj and senior journalist Dilip Padgaonkar were also present at the function. Bureau Report