Togadia dares to do a Gujarat in Madhya Pradesh

Demanding the unconditional release of VHP national spokesman Acharya Dharmendra from jail, the organisation’s international general secretary Pravin Togadia today alleged that Chief Minister Digvijay Singh had thrown a challenge at the Hindus by the arrest and should be prepared for a Hindu backlash. ‘‘If Digvijay continues on this track, we would be forced to enter the political arena and repeat Gujarat politically in Madhya Pradesh,’’ said Togadia addressing a press conference here.

Togadia denied that there was anything ‘‘inflammatory’’ in the Acharya’s speech, and said the VHP will take his case to the people to make them decide on it’s content. The organisation, he said, will fan out to the villages of the state and play videotapes of the speech which led to the arrest. Alleging that the case against Acharya Dharmendra had been filed at the behest of the Congress, Togadia said the case could have come up ‘‘before a fast-track court’’ had Digvijay wanted to expedite it.

Referring to the Congress, the VHP leader said the party under Sonia Gandhi had adopted a Hindu virodhi attitude and if Digvijay continued on the same track, he (Togadia) would be forced to repeat Gujarat there politically. He, however, clarified that violence would not be repeated, and non-violent backlash against Digvijay’s policies would see him being removed from power.