14 May 2004	Friday	23 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1425

NEW DELHI, May 13: Hindu rightwing leaders said on Thursday the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) deserved to lose for selling out their core Hindu supporters.

Ram Madhav, spokesman for the Rashtriya Swayangsevak Sangh (RSS), a rightwing Hindu ideological mentor of the BJP, virtually gloated over the shock election defeat of the BJP.

"During these elections, several senior RSS leaders did not campaign for the BJP. They felt there was no point because they have drifted away from 'Hindutva' said Madhav.

"Why will people have faith in a party that does not keep its election pledges? The BJP did nothing in all these years to get the Ram temple built in Ayodhya. People have eyes," said VHP general secretary Praveen Togadia. -AFP