Beginning his indefinite fast in support of the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya and other issues, former VHP leader Pravin Togadia on Tuesday took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"You (Modi) said you have a majority in Parliament, you will sort out all issues facing the country with a snap of your fingers. For the last four years, I have been eagerly awaiting to listen to my brother and our Prime Minister to snap his fingers and solve the problems," the former Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) Acting President said.
Though his fast was scheduled to start around 10 a.m., it took him a couple of hours more to commence it outside the VHP office here, where he was joined by a motley group of sants and supporters.
Interestingly, he began his fast without getting any official permission from the local authorities. Police was present at the venue.
"Our demand is for passage of a law in Parliament to facilitate the construction of the Ram Temple, ban on cow slaughter, and enforcement of the Uniform Civil Code in the country," Togadia said.
He also attacked Modi for his economic policies and governance.
"You did a U-turn on MNREGA, Aadhaar, and Goods and Services Tax. By announcing demonetisation and GST, you killed businesses," he said.
He indirectly hinted that he had been offered the post of Gujarat Chief Minister in the past.
Both the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the Bharatiya Janata Party had made attempts since Monday to convince Togadia not to go ahead with his fast, but he remained adamant.
Three RSS leaders met Togadia on Monday, whereas senior BJP leader Surendra Patel called on him just before he began his fast.
--IANS
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