DNA Edit: Togadia being Togadia

The mysterious case of Pravin Togadia, who disappeared on Monday for a few hours and resurfaced later in the evening, is no less than a whodunit with a sudden burst of emotion — the sort of twists Bollywood potboilers revel in. Togadia alleged on Tuesday that powerful forces have aligned against him, trying to prevent him from taking up issues like the Ram temple, farmer welfare schemes and the law on cow slaughter. And, the cat leapt out of the bag right then, clawing at the credibility of Togadia’s claims.

The fact is, the International Working President of VHP loves theatrics, and this carefully scripted incident, which gives him the opportunity to play the victim was supposed to rescue his political career from oblivion. He did have his more than 15 minutes of fame when VHP activists took to the streets under the notion that the Rajasthan police had come to Ahmedabad to arrest him. There is no clarity whatsoever on how and why Togadia disappeared and why Rajasthan police were in the city. If it was only to serve a warrant, then his sudden disappearance and the attendant drama was an over-the-top response.

The truth will remain wrapped in an enigma for obvious reasons. A probe into the day’s events as well as Togadia’s claims of his voice being muffled can be very damaging to the leader’s reputation. People like Togadia, who once enjoyed a free run in the sun, find it extremely difficult to come to terms with the fact that their power and clout have become extremely limited. His dream of dominating the national stage has been reduced to just a dream. Togadia, an oncologist by profession, should have the scientific temperament to realise that theatrics will merely keep alive the illusion of a return.