Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader L K Advani [Images] on Thursday said as in social life, there is no space for untouchability in politics.

Speaking at a function to mark the death anniversary of party patron Deen Dayal Upadhyaya at the party headquarters in New Delhi [Images], Advani said, "If we cannot tolerate untouchability in social life, why should we ever even think of untouchability in politics?"

Talking to partymen ahead of the crucial Lok Sabha polls and at a time when the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance is struggling for allies in some important states like Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal among others, Advani exhorted party cadre to follow Jan Sangh leader Upadhyaya who was criticised for joining hands with the Communist to form alliance governments in states.

"We have never practised untouchability, although the Communists have always kept at a distance and have behaved with contempt," Advani said.

He called upon the partymen to follow Upadhyaya as a role model in the political life.

Speaking at the function, party chief Rajnath Singh said Upadhyaya's philosophy on governance is the only option before the nation in this of economic recession.

"Both the capitalist model and the Marxist model have collapsed not only for the nation but for the whole world and the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya model is best suited in these circumstances," Singh said.

The Upadhyaya philosophy calls for considering the world as one family and the Swadeshi concept of living, he added.