Ahmedabad: Vishwa Hindu Parishad's international president Pravin Togadia at a press conference on Tuesday alleged that there was plan to kill him in an encounter, a day after he went missing and then was found at a hospital in the city.
Togadia alleged that "people do not want me to talk of Hindutva and Ram Mandir" and that a conspiracy to eliminate him is in the works.
"When the appropriate time comes, I will state who wants to silence my voice. I will give proof," said Togadia.
Following Togadia's allegations, the Gujarat unit of the Congress demanded an official inquiry into them, calling it a serious issue.
Congress leader Arjun Modhwadia visited him in hospital. "We have ideological differences but our culture does not teach us enmity. I had gone to enquire about his health," Modhwadia said.
"He has made some startling allegations. They should be probed independently. Unlike the BJP, we do not believe in eliminating people who do not toe our line," he added.
On Monday, a team of Rajasthan police had come to Ahmedabad, but could not find him.
"I am being targeted for a decade-old case, there is an attempt to suppress my voice. Rajasthan Police team came to arrest me. Someone told me a plan was being made to kill me in an encounter," said Togadia.
Narrating his ordeal, Togadia said a karyakarta came and "told me that he feared I would be killed". "I left the karyalaya with one karyakarta in an autorickshaw and asked my security guards to come at 2:30pm. At that time, I got a call on my phone that a team of Rajasthan police have come with an arrest warrant against me. I went to the house of a karyakarta in Thaltej," said Togadia.
Upon learning from the Rajasthan home minister that no such team has been sent, Togadia switched off his phones.
"I got in touch with advocates who advised me to be appear before a court in Jaipur. At around 3pm, I got into an autorickshaw alone from Thaltej to go to the airport to take a flight to Jaipur. I pulled a shawl over my face to ensure I would not be recognised by cops. I suddenly felt unwell, was giddy and asked the rickshaw driver to take me to Dhanvantari hospital in Bapunagar. After that I don't remember anything. At around midnight, when I regained consciousness, I was here," said Togadia.
While narrating the sequence of events, the emotions got the better of this firebrand leader and he was seen sobbing midway through the press briefing.
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