How Pravin Togadia escaped is a matter that needs significant investigation

It is the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP’s) worst-kept secret that Narendra Modi and Pravin Togadia of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) enjoy an ambivalent relationship. The two were the best of friends at one time, with Togadia boasting in 2002 that: “Narendrabhai is riding the horse, but the reins are in my hand.”

During Modi’s second term as chief minister of Gujarat (2002-07), there was nothing private about Togadia’s ambitions. “I was offered chief ministership of Gujarat twice by the sangh parivar,” he declared once, revealing that plans were afoot to create a political formation to “take care” of the interests of the Hindus. This because the BJP had become a “B-team of the Congress”.

During Modi’s chief ministership, the Gujarat VHP tried to launch a movement around the trishul — encouraging the Hindus to carry a miniature like a Sikh kripan. It found no resonance in Gujarat because Modi didn’t want any parallel Hindu structures — and Togadia had to go to Rajasthan to popularise it. The Rajasthan Police’s current quest is likely related to his activities once he had been virtually externed from Gujarat.

VHP supporters used to flaunt their connections with the Gujarat government and offer their services to investors in Gujarat for a small fee. This was tolerated during the reign of Keshubhai Patel but once Modi came to power, they found themselves cut out of all government deals.

As Modi’s second term wound down and the 2007 assembly elections approached, Togadia said at a press conference the VHP would not support the BJP in the assembly elections. He also said: “No one should consider himself the most powerful person and ruling over the hearts of the people.” Modi had disturbed a significant interest group. In the state, corruption went down visibly but the VHP became a firm, implacable enemy.

Modi is more than familiar with the lifestyle of VHP leaders and how it is supported. There was a time during previous BJP regimes that VHP workers’ salaries used to be paid out of Gujarat government funds.

All that stopped. Togadia’s complaints to the RSS leadership that the activities of his organisation were being emasculated found little traction. Instead, VHP chief Ashok Singhal made light of the differences between Modi and the VHP and played down Togadia’s high-decibel campaign.

But a plot to kill Togadia? Surely not.

Despite Z category security, why exactly Togadia slipped out for “a few minutes” in the company of a “bearded man”, got into an auto, and disappeared is a matter that needs significant investigation, especially as the Rajasthan police were hot on his heels. What we do know is that when last time Togadia was in jail, during the Ramjanmabhoomi movement, while being a servant of the Hindu cause, he had begged colleagues and friends to get him out of prison as soon as possible because he “couldn’t stand it”.

Although his current problems relate to the state government, given that the general elections are not far and the BJP will need the support of every member of the sangh family to win them, how the “plot” to “kill” Togadia is defused remains to be seen.