Togadia attacks Modi for razing temples

Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) general secretary Praveen Togadia attacked Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi for permitting demolition of over 250 temples in the state.

Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) general secretary Praveen Togadia on Friday attacked Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi for permitting demolition of over 250 temples in the state.

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"Those temples were not built on roads so why did he get them demolished is beyond understanding of a Hindu. This was not done even during Congress rule," Togadia told reporters in Shimla.

It was only after VHP leader Ashok Singhal launched an agitation that the demolition drive was called off, he said.

Attacking Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for not sacking Union Minister AR Antulay, despite his remarks raising doubts on the issue of killing of Maharashtra ATS chief Hemant Karkare, Togadia accused the Congress for appeasing minority Muslims for vote bank politics.

"Antulay is a member of Union cabinet and party to all crucial decisions taken by the government...So whatever he speaks publically can't be taken as his personal opinion," he said.

Togadia said that Congress was trying to bury the issue by terming Antulay's remarks as his personal views.

He alleged that none of the political parties was serious in checking activities of madarsas in the country.

"Countries like the US and the UK have taken a lesson from 9/11 and have banned preaching and propaganda of jehad on their land," he added.