New Delhi, June 20: L.K. Advani called on the RSS sarsanghachalak Mohanrao Bhagwat at the Sangh’s office here this morning for an hour-long interaction.

An anodyne statement from RSS chief spokesperson Manmohan Vaidya sought to cap speculation that kept TV news channels abuzz after the meet, although nobody could tell where the stories emanated from: Advani’s secretariat or the Sangh.

Vaidya’s statement said: “In a detailed and candid interaction, Shri Advaniji conveyed his views on various developments in the country and the role of the party (the BJP) and the broad nationalist movement led by the Sangh. It was opined that several issues need further discussion and exchange of notes at various levels. (The) same will take place at appropriate time. Shri Bhagwatji also suggested that such useful exchange of views should continue in future also.”

According to sources, the messages packed in the statement were that the RSS is always willing to hear out Advani and today’s interaction was a step towards repairing what he might have inferred as a “communication breach” between him and the Sangh. However, it was underlined that did not mean his views alone would prevail over those of the others.

The sources said Bhagwat had made it clear to Advani that his opinions on issues raised in his June 10 letter to BJP president Rajnath Singh resigning from party committees, would be “listened to”.

Prime among the issues were the BJP’s “current functioning and direction”, the “decline” of “idealism” and the “concern” of leaders with “personal agendas”. But Bhagwat reportedly suggested that Advani should not articulate his grouses publicly and take “extreme” steps like quitting from posts because such moves ultimately dented the image and damaged the “health” of the BJP the veteran had helped build.

The RSS chief told Advani that the BJP, like the Sangh, believed in “collective decision-making” in precept and practice and, therefore, nothing would be done unilaterally.

Advani’s aides refused to speak on the meeting, nor did the BJP.

Senior leader and former party chief M. Venkaiah Naidu told reporters when asked about the interaction that he had “also met the ‘sarsanghachalakji’ to discuss matters of mutual and national interest”.

But Naidu’s subsequent comments suggested Narendra Modi’s proposed projection as the BJP’s numero uno figured prominently on the party’s radar. Until recently, Naidu was counted among Advani’s staunchest loyalists.

Naidu picked on a remark made recently by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh saying “people knew what Modi stands for”. The BJP leader claimed the Gujarat chief minister’s leadership encapsulated 3 Ds: “decisiveness, dynamism and a development orientation”.

“The 3-Ds are making him most popular among the people of the country. These 3-Ds are missing in the PM and his government. That is why people are looking towards the BJP and talking about Modi.”

Asked if Modi would eventually be unwrapped as the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate, now that the Janata Dal (United) was out of the way, Naidu said: “The nation will come to know who our candidate is. You people already know who he is.”

Aware Modi would find it hard to rid himself of the 2002 riot taint, the BJP is crafting a strategy that would neither be an outright apology nor an unabashed defence of the atrocities on Gujarat’s Muslims under his administration.

Goa chief minister and party leader Manohar Parrikar bounced off the line recently. He told a news channel the post-Godhra violence was a case of “administrative failure” and “bad example of governance” but added that as Modi was “just” four months into his job as chief minister, he may not have had the kind of grip over the administration that he has now.

Parrikar, who led the chorus for Modi-as-Prime Minister at last week’s BJP national executive in Goa, said: “The administration collapsed. Everyone got polarised, including the administration. You don’t have to blame only the leader.”

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, the Art of Living founder and an ardent Modi backer, seconded Parrikar, interestingly in Goa. Separately, he told a channel that Modi was “new and inexperienced” when the 2002 carnage happened and that it was time to shed the 11-year-old “baggage”.