Togadia adamant on tribal sammelan
Despite stiff opposition from the Maharashtra government against VHP rally on Wednesday in Navapur village of Nandurbar district, VHP international general secretary Dr Pravin Togadia asserted that the VHP will go ahead with the "Hindu Virat Sammelan" of tribals.

He claimed that the Maharashtra government has banned the rally under pressure from national Congress president Mrs Sonia Gandhi who is "avenging" her party’s defeat in Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, states largely dominated by tribals.

The Maharashtra government has invoked section 144 of the IPC in Navapur village in Nandurbar district against holding of such rally a day before Christmas fearing communal tensions in the region.

Speaking to The Asian Age from Maharashtra, Dr Togadia said, "I fail to understand why there is so much hype when it is nothing but a tribals’ sammelan. Do not the tribals have even the right to hold such meetings?"

Allaying apprehensions that the sammelan will stir communal passion in wake of Christmas, he retorted, "Do Hindus question when Muslims go for Haj during Diwali?"

Lambasting the Congress government in Maharashtra, he remarked, "By hindering such meetings, Congress president Mrs Sonia Gandhi is targeting tribals who did not vote for the party in the recent polls in Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh resulting in Congress debacle. Mrs Gandhi daman kar rahi hai (she is committing atrocity on tribals)," he said.

VHP workers from South Gujarat region who would participate in the sammelan will also court arrest, if need be, Dr Togadia said.

Meanwhile, the Gujarat high court directed the state government on Monday to ensure law and order in Surat, Dangs and Dahod during Christmas following a petition filed in the high court. The petitioner apprehended communal tension due to the proposed programme of the VHP the ‘Hindu Virat Sammelan’ at Dolara village of Vyara taluka in Surat district on Tuesday.

A similar sammelan is scheduled at Dadhawada village in Surat district on December 28.

Justice C.K. Buch has issued notice to the state government and district collectors of Surat, Dahod and Dangs returnable on December 26. National executive member of the All India Christian Council Samson Christian filed the petition claiming that such sammelans might cause law and order problem in the region.

Republished from The Asian Age