The rise and fall of Modi-Togadia bonhomie

The Gujarat VHP tried to launch a movement around the trishul – encouraging Hindus to carry a miniature like a Sikh kripan. Called Trishul Deeksha, it found no resonance in Gujarat because Modi didn’t want any parallel Hindu structures - and Togadia had to go to Rajasthan to launch and popularise it.

VHP supporters who used to flaunt their connections with the state government and used to offer their services to investors in Gujarat for a small fee, found themselves cut out of all government deals. This had Togadia railing against Modi but powerless to do anything about him.

As Modi’s second term wound down and 2007 assembly elections approached, Togadia said at a press conference that 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. 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 has stopped. But despite tension between Togadia and Modi, statements made by Ashok Singhal have been placatory and have reached out to Modi.

In 2014, Modi made it amply clear that he was not particularly anxious to launch the mandir plank, though he did nothing to prevent others from doing it, in the full knowledge that religious polarisation will be to his advantage.

At the same time, he didn’t want an army of people who, once mobilised, will be impossible to shrug off and will become more and more demanding. Modi ignored an invitation to come to Ayodhya for the 75th birthday celebrations of  Nrittya Gopal Das, the Mahant of the Ram temple. When the VHP made tentative efforts in 2013 to re-launch the Ram Mandir movement, its top leadership was arrested including Togadia and Singhal. Their ‘yatra’ was banned by the state government.  Modi could have could have made that a big issue.

He did nothing

Writhing at being outlawed in his own kingdom Gujarat, Togadia is now preparing to reclaim his place, recognising that bete noire Modi might be moving out of the state. The drama in Bhavnagar – which Modi has dismissed as ‘petty’ and launched by purported well-wishers of the BJP – should be seen as an effort to seize relevance.