L K Advani on Sunday attempted to refashion Hindutva as "an inclusive, tolerant philosophy which was not averse to change with the changing times".

"It is said that the Sangh is changing and that it has to change further. It is a sign of their evolution. That which doesn't change is not living, it is dead," Advani said, quoting Deoras's 1980 Vijayadashami speech and, in the process, also sending a subtle message to assembled delegates.

Emphasising the BJP's RSS roots, Advani said: "How can a people believing in the dictum ekam sat vipra bahuda vadanti (truth is one, sages call it variously) ever become champions of a state which would uphold the interests of one religion at the cost of others?" The BJP's Hindutva, he said, "was in accordance with the 1995 Supreme Court view that described it 'a way of life'".

Advani's bid to refashion Hindutva found support from state BJP leaders. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said "Muslim women, at times much against the wishes of their husbands, voted for (me) because benefits of development reached every section of society." Therefore, said Chouhan, "Muslims must not go off the party's radar".

The resolution said: "Theocracy or any form of bigotry is alien to our ethos. Hindutva is a profound concept which is the real inspiration for a resurgent India with which the BJP is proud to be associated. We need to draw inspiration from our profound civilisational, cultural and spiritual heritage, address the issues of the present with transparent commitment and good governance, and lay the foundation of a very strong and resurgent future."

It added, "giving equal treatment to all regardless of their personal faith is integral to Hindutva"