Togadia appears before SIT for questioning in 2002 riots case

VHP International General Secretary Praveen Togadia on Monday appeared for questioning before the Special Investigation Team (SIT), probing the 2002 riots.

Togadia reached the SIT office in block number 11 of Old Secretariat campus around 1100 hours along with several VHP activists who shouted Jai Shree Ram slogans. After the VHP leader went inside, nearly 100 activists including some sadhus gathered in the lawn outside the office and sang bhajans.

Before reaching the SIT office, Togadia visited two temples - Mahalakshmi temple in Ahmedabad and Panchdev temple in Gandhinagar.

Togadia was called for questioning by SIT on April 19 in connection with the complaint of Zakia Jaffery, wife of slain ex-MP Ehsan Jaffery, who was among the 69 killed in the Gulburg society riots on February 28, 2002. He had however, failed to appear before it then.

"I don't know what the complaint is about because despite making several requests, I was not given copy of the complaint," Togadia told reporters today at the VHP headquarters before leaving for the questioning.

"Since the Supreme Court has set up the SIT and asked it to probe the complaint, I am going there as I respect the apex court," 53-year-old Togadia said. "In this country it has become a crime to be a Hindu," he said.

The VHP leader also referred to Afzal Guru, Parliament attack case convict, who is in the death row.