The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh on Friday sought to distance itself from the Vishwa Hindi Parishad leader Ashok Singhal's demand for Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's resignation for his failure to facilitate the construction of a Ram temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya.
Briefing journalists on the eve of a two-day national executive of the Sangh here, RSS spokesman Ram Madhav said:
"There is no question of feeling let down by the government as we understand difficulties of a coaltion government which is bound by a different agenda from that of the BJP."
He, however, said the Hindu society wants Ram Janmabhoomi handed over to the Hindus.
Asked about Singhal's outburst against the prime minister, the RSS spokesman said: "I don't want to comment on VHP. It may be his personal view.
"Who should be the prime minister is not to be decided by the RSS. We respect the authority of the party to decide on such things," the RSS spokesman said.
He said the RSS looked at the Ayodhya issue as not a Hindu-Muslim problem, but as an "issue of national self-respect and honour."