Advani at the news conference. (PTI)

New Delhi, Oct. 20: .K. Advani today said one of his priorities would be ?answering? the ?ideological assault? the Congress-led government has mounted on the BJP.

?It is our party?s responsibility to defeat this assault,? he declared in his first news conference after becoming BJP president for the fifth time. ?I am willing to enter into any debate (with the United Progressive Alliance) because I believe in genuine secularism.?

The news conference was, in a sense, intended to unveil his roadmap for the BJP?s regeneration. But his look-ahead vision was a mix-and-match of the party?s trademark issues ? Sonia Gandhi?s ?foreign? origin, ?demographic invasion by Bangladeshis?, the ?baneful? influence of the Left, internal security, Veer Savarkar and the Tricolour. Only it was articulated in a milder language.

Careful to dispel the notion that he would purge ?unwanted? elements and keep a distance from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Advani went into a please-all mode. He announced that he would be in Nagpur, the Sangh headquarters, on October 22 to join the annual ?Vijayadashami? function.

The ?please-RSS? move was in response to reports that its joint general secretary, Madan Das Devi ? who was the party-Sangh link for years ? was the only functionary to be taken into confidence by Advani when it was decided he will replace M. Venkaiah Naidu. Devi was asked to convey the ?news? to the parivar.

Advani said he would be in Hyderabad two days later for a party function, but also call on Telugu Desam Party leader . Chandrababu Naidu. ?I will maintain touch with the NDA constituents,? he said.

Sharing the dais with Advani were Jaswant Singh, Pramod Mahajan and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi. While Singh has become his confidant, party sources expressed doubts on whether Mahajan would be retained as general secretary largely because he is identified as a ?Vajpayee loyalist? though Advani had originally mentored him.

The sources said Naqvi might be given the short shrift in favour of a ?weightier? Muslim like Arif Mohammad Khan or Najma Heptullah.

Advani rubbished the suggestion that the second-rung leadership had failed the BJP. ?This is a completely misplaced interpretation. Among all the parties, the BJP has the largest and the most talented set of leaders in the second-rung age group,? he said. ?Each one of them will be my active colleague in running the affairs of the party.?

Vajpayee, he added, would continue to ?guide?. The only parivar constituent Advani did not indulge was the VHP. When a reporter named Ashok Singhal asked him to respond to VHP chief Ashok Singhal?s charge that he had ?betrayed? Hindutva, Advani laughed and said: ?Have you taken the inspiration for your question from the name??