VHP leader Pravin Togadia did not even mention Advani or his yatra during the 3-day conference at Pirana.
While the LK Advani's rath (chariot) was passing through the city on Monday, VHP leaders who were concluding their three-day Dharm Prasar meet at Pirana village, preferred to keep away from the yatra.
VHP's firebrand leader Pravin Togadia, who was heard glorifying what Gujarat witnessed in 2002 (riots) preferred to not even mention Advani or his yatra. When asked, all he said was that at the national level, VHP had not discussed it. Hence, he had no idea what sort of response VHP members had about the yatra at the state level.
Advani's yatras have been criticised by VHP leaders including Ashok Singhal since 2002. Singhal had even said in 2009 that the yatras were only for Advani's personal gains. Since the Jinnah controversy, the VHP has publicly stated that when he was deputy Prime Minister, Advani had entirely ignored the Hindutva cause.
"There is no meaning in such yatras, so we decided to keep ourselves away from it. Besides, we were too busy with our own event at Pirana. Even if we were free, we wouldn't have supported his yatra which is a mere gimmick for the ageing Advani," said a senior VHP leader from the state.
The VHP has been expressing their 'anger' with Advani and the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) for not being committed to the Hindutva cause over the years. The VHP also preferred to stay from Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi's Sadbhavana Mission. In fact, a big drama unfolded at the VHP's office in Paldi when the mission became the bone of contention between VHP members.
The VHP's 'distance' from the BJP was there for everyone to see at Pirana during their three-day meet, when the speakers didn't utter a single word involving BJP or any of its leaders. However, Togadia couldn't resist the chance to lash out at the 'skull cap controversy' at Modi's Sadbhavana fast.
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