Condemning the terrorist attempt to strike at its headquarters in Nagpur, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh on Thursday asked its cadres across the country to remain calm while the Bharatiya Janata Party said the UPA must realise that terrorists cannot be fought with kid gloves.

Former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee also condemned the terrorist bid on the RSS headquarters. He has appealed to everyone to remain alert, a close aide said.

"Jihadi forces have become bold enough to attempt to attack the RSS headquarters. It is heartening that police have been successful in thwarting their designs. The attempt highlights the need for all our activists to be more alert and cautious.

"There is no need to panic and they should remain calm and take necessary steps for the security of our offices across the country," Sangh national executive member Ram Madhav told PTI over phone from Hyderabad.

He said that over the years all Hindu centres of respect and reverence were coming under the attack of the terrorists.

"Places like Ayodhya and Varanasi; festivals like Holi and Deepavali were the targets of the Jihadi terrorists and now they are emboldened to attack the RSS headquarters. It's a matter of grave concern and we expect the government to take firm steps to ensure the safety of common Hindus," he said.

Terming the terrorist bid as highly reprehensible, BJP general secretary and spokesman Arun Jaitley told PTI from Mumbai: "This is a militant attack on the nerve centre of

Indian patriotism. This attack is a grim reminder that terrorism has raised its ugly head in the country once again."

Expressing deep concern that such attacks were spreading around the country, he said there have been several incidents of terrorist attacks or accumulation of arms at several places in Maharashtra.

"The UPA must realise that terrorism cannot be fought with kid gloves."

He thanked the almighty and security forces for foiling the bid to attack the RSS headquarters.

Meanwhile, Vishwa Hindu Parishad general secretary Pravin Togadia in a statement from Surat slammed the attacks at Nagpur and on tourists in Jammu and Kashmir [Images] as a cruel Jihadi war against Indian state, and appealed to all Indians irrespective of caste and religion to come together once and for all to fight the menace.

He thanked the Nagpur police for promptly and bravely fighting the terrorists.

Onkar Singh adds from New Delhi:

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh [Images] has condemned the attack. Reminding that the entire nation stands as one in its fight against terrorism, Dr Singh appealed to the people to remain calm and maintain communal harmony and peace.

He is also being constantly being updated on the latest developments.