No diktat to Advani: RSS

Against the backdrop of Bharatiya Janata Party veteran L K Advani indicating that he would not be the prime ministerial candidate in 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh on Wednesday said it does not issue any "diktat" to the party leaders on such issues and it was up to the party to take a call.

"Let me state it categorically that the Sangh does not give any diktats to party leaders," RSS leader Ram Madhav said.

He said Advani had met Sangh Sarvasanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat to discuss the prevailing situation in the country and his proposed yatra against corruption.

"But to conclude that there was a diktat from RSS to any of these things is not correct," he said adding such issues were up to the BJP leadership to decide "within its own wisdom".

He also said RSS volunteers will "actively participate" in Advani's proposed yatra. "The Sangh has already asked its Swayamsewaks (volunteers) to actively support all initiatives and actions against corruption. They had earlier extended support to yoga guru Ramdev and Anna Hazare in their campaigns against corruption.

Similarly, Swayamsewaks will actively participate in Advani's campaign," Madhav said. He was asked to comment on the meeting between Advani and RSS Sar Sanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat in Nagpur.

To a poser on whether RSS' support to the yatra was promised after Advani agreed not to project himself as prime ministerial candidate, he said there were "no strings attached".

Advani earlier claimed he had met Bhagwat to seek his blessings for the yatra.