The Hindu : How can my speech be banned, asks Togadia

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Dec 24, 2002

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How can my speech be banned, asks Togadia

By Mahesh Vijapurkar

MUMBAI Dec. 23. To the Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader, Praveen Togadia, preventing him from speaking in Maharashtra means that the authorities were putting a "lock on his mouth with the key either in Rome or Rawalpindi".

Is it a State ruled by "Mian Musharraf or the Muslim League" that a Hindu leader cannot speak, he asked. Nowhere had a riot broken out after he delivered a speech. The Maharashtra Government, which has sometimes said his visit to the State would be banned and, at other times, that he would be barred from delivering a speech, did nothing when he visited Mumbai today.

Several months ago, Mr. Togadia was turned away from visiting a town in north Maharashtra and, thereafter, the Minister of State for Home has been saying that Mr. Togadia should be prevented from entering Maharashtra because of his incendiary speeches.

Then came the line that the local police and not the Government would decide, on a case-by-case basis, on how to deal with his presence in Maharashtra. This month, Mr. Togadia has an engagement in Pune too a few days from now.

Mr. Togadia's visit was in connection with a religious ceremony organised by Sadhwi Rithambara, known for her fiery pro-Hindutva speeches.

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