Pravin Togadia spews venom at Special Investigation Team

Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Pravin Togadia criticised RK Raghavan, the chairman of the Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT), for his remark that "Zakia Jafri's complaint is the Bible of SIT".

Reacting to his questioning by SIT for his speeches delivered before and during the 2002 riots, Togadia said: "If they (SIT) want to take action against me for these speeches, then action should also be taken against Raghavan for his remarks comparing Jafri's complaint to the Bible." He also said that the judiciary as well as the so called secular NGOs had no time to ensure justice for the 57 kar sevaks killed in the Godhra train carnage.

He said that the SIT had called him for questioning only because he is a Hindu, and that it has become a sin to be born as one in this country. Togadia was summoned by the SIT in connection with his role in the post-Godhra riots of 2002. He is one of the main accused in Zakia Jafri's complaint filed in the apex court. Togadia also threatened to take action against Jafri for accusing him in her complaint.

 "We will take action against Jafri and Teesta Setalvad, the member of Citizens for Justice and Peace, for mentioning me in their complaint," Togadia said. When asked what action he planned to take, he said he will reveal it in the next few days. "I too, at an appropriate time, will take action against them, who have dragged me before the SIT," Togadia told reporters outside the SIT office in Gandhinagar.

Togadia was questioned for over three hours by former DIG of CBI and investigating officer in the case, AK Malhotra, on Monday.  Jafri had alleged that chief minister Narendra Modi and 62 others, who include his cabinet colleagues, police officials and senior bureaucrats, aided and abetted post-Godhra riots in Gujarat. Setalvad is a co-complainant in the case. On the arrest of IPS officers in connection with fake encounters in Gujarat, Togadia said that there will come a stage when police will be jailed and terrorists will be free to explode bombs on city streets.

Togadia reached the SIT office at around 11 am with several VHP activists who shouted slogans outside the SIT office.  Before reaching the SIT office, Togadia visited Mahalakshmi temple in Ahmedabad and Panchdev temple in Gandhinagar. Togadia was earlier called for questioning by SIT on April 19, but he had failed to make an appearance.