Pravin Togadia ends 'indefinite fast' on health grounds

Pravin Togadia

Gandhinagar: Citing health reasons, former VHP leader Pravin Togadia on Thursday called off his "indefinite fast" and said he will now travel across the country to build pressure vis-a-vis his demands, including building a grand Ram Temple at Ayodhya. Togadia had begun his fast here on Tuesday in support of the Ram Temple and other issues.

Togadia, a diabetic, said there was deterioration in his health and hence he was calling off his hunger strike.

"I am calling off my fast at the insistence of 'sants' who called on me. They have also asked me to resolve to work for the welfare of Hindus."

The former Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader lost three kg in weight. Doctors present at the fast venue feared that his kidneys could be affected due to fasting and require hospitalisation.

Togadia was demanding that Parliament pass a law to facilitate the construction of a grand Ram Temple at the site of the former Babri Masjid in Uttar Pradesh.

He said he will also campaign for an end to debt of farmers, employment for youths and women welfare.

"I will begin to travel across the country from this weekend," he said, adding he also wanted a ban on cow slaughter, revocation of Article 370 of the Constitution and resettlement of Kashmiri Pandits who displaced in the Valley.

Taking a jibe at the Modi government, Togadia said: "Those elected in 2014 have performed worst than those who ruled before 2014. I will work to build an alternative that works to meet the aspirations of the people."

He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi "should, instead of travelling abroad, visit the homes of people" in the country.