"We always held that Hindutva, the ideological anchor of the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) is a liberal, all-embracing and secular idea," spokesman Ram Madhav told reporters in New Delhi.

"To portray it as anti-secular or narrow-minded is not correct. Hindutva in reality is a true synonym for secularism," the RSS spokesman maintained.

"This is our ideological position which we have been articulating from time immemorial and the chief of RSS (Mohan Bhagwat) has only reiterated that position," Madhav said.

"It is totally, utterly uncalled for to link the views expressed before the swayamsevaks to day-to-day political happenings in the country, to individuals or leaders. This is uncalled for and not appropriate," he said.

Earlier in the day, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had told cadres in Nagpur: "To keep alive the Hindutva ideology, the Hindu 'samaaj' (society) should come together. And the country should have a prime minister who believes in that ideology or propounds that view."

Bhagwat's comments come a day after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said the Bharatiya Janata Party-led opposition National Democratic Alliance should announce a secular prime ministerial candidate for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

Bhagwat had hit out at Nitish Kumar too, saying he was scared to call himself a Hindu and questioned his right to decide what sort of person would make a good prime minister.