Vishwa Hindu Parishad international secretary Praveen Togadia on Saturday turned to international politics and urged the United States to support India in 'restructuring' Pakistan and in opposing jihadi forces in the world.
Togadia made these comments while replying to questions at a press conference in Mumbai, his first after release from imprisonment in Ajmer, Rajasthan for organising trishul distribution programmes.
Known for his radical right-wing opinions, Togadia said India and US and other countries fighting global terrorism should sign 'civilisational treaties' and form a united front to oppose countries supporting terrorist groups. "Pakistan and the Middle East needs to be restructured," he said, without explaining what restructuring meant.
Replying to questions on Vajpayee's offer of talks with Pakistan, Togadia said, "Vajpayee should behave like a diplomat, but prepare for a war. When political leaders talk about war, they are talking about peace, and when they talk about peace, they are talking about war. Vajpayee should remember that the road to Lahore II or Agra II could also go through Kargil."
Undeterred by his arrest in Rajasthan, Togadia said the VHP would continue with trishul distribution across India to meet its target of enrolling three million members and distributing one million trishuls.
"Rajasthan VHP will distribute trishuls every alternate day. Let Ashok Gehlot (Rajasthan Chief Minister) fill the jails with sadhus and sants who worship trishuls," he said.
He said the VHP had planned a 'huge' trishul distribution programme in the next few days, but refused to give details.
Togadia denied the trishul distribution programme in Rajasthan was a move to bolster BJP's votebank ahead of the assembly polls. "In fact, we had not planned trishul distribution on such a largescale until Gehlot opposed it."
He said," Ramjanmabhoomi and trishul diksha are part of VHP's 'mahayojana' of creating a Hindu nation. We will not stop if the BJP or Congress doesn't support us. We are trying to create an H-power (Hindu-power), which will only support an H-party (Hindu-party). The political parties have to decide whether they are the H-party and get support. We have no objections, if Congress turns saffron, and people decide to support it."
Asked whether he considered the BJP an H-party, he said, "The BJP is a para-H party till now."