Togadia Appears for SIT for Interrogation in 2002 Riots Case
International general secretary of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) Praveen Togadia today appeared before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) which is investigating the 2002 riots, said media reports.
Accompanied with many VHP activists shouting ‘Jai Shree Ram’ slogans, Togadia reached the SIT office in block number 11 of Old Secretariat campus about 1100 hours, reports said.
As Togadia went in, some 100 activists, of them many sadhus, assembled in the lawn outside the office and sang bhajans, said reports.
Earlier, the VHP leader visited two temples – Mahalakshmi temple in Ahmedabad and Panchdev temple in Gandhinagar, reports said.
The SIT had called Togadia for interrogation on April 19 connection with the complaint filed by Zakia Jaffery, wife of slain ex-MP Ehsan Jaffery, who was among the 69 killed in the Gulburg society riots on February 28, 2002.
However, Togadia failed to appear before it then.
“I don’t know what the complaint is about because despite making several requests, I was not given copy of the complaint,” Togadia was quoted as saying while talking to reporters at the VHP headquarters before leaving for the questioning.
“Since the Supreme Court has set up the SIT and asked it to probe the complaint, I am going there as I respect the apex court,” he was quoted as saying.
“In this country it has become a crime to be a Hindu,” he was quoted as saying.
(Based on media reports)
