Pravin Togadia

Pravin Togadia
Pravin Togadia, 2008
Born	1956 (age 60–61) Sajan timba Village, Amreli district, Gujarat, India
Nationality	Indian
Occupation	Leader of Vishva Hindu Parishad

Pravin Togadia is an Indian doctor and an advocate for Hindu nationalism. He is the International Working President of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and a cancer surgeon by qualification. He is known for his anti-Islamic speeches..

Pravin Togadia was born in 12 December 1956. He moved to Ahmedabad at age 10 and joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) soon after. He received a bachelor's degree (MBBS) in medicine followed by a master's degree (MS) in surgical oncology. He practised as a surgeon for fourteen years, and established a small hospital, Dhanvantri Hospital, in Ahmedabad.

Praveen Togadia was an RSS swayamsevak in Ahmedabad, and a colleague of Narendra Modi. He was drafted into VHP in 1983 and Modi was drafted into the BJP in 1984. The two remained colleagues during the rise of BJP to power in 1995. When Shankersinh Vaghela fell out with BJP and became a Chief Minister with the help of the Indian National Congress party, he imprisoned Togadia for an alleged assault on BJP politicians. Modi campaigned for his release. Soon afterwards, Togadia was appointed as the General Secretary of the VHP at the national level. However, he continued to be active in Gujarat. Express India credits his legacy in Gujarat for "bearing fruit" in the 2002 Gujarat riots.

When Modi was banished to Delhi by Keshubhai Patel, Togadia provided him support in Gujarat. Modi was eventually installed as the Chief Minister in 2001, with strong support from Togadia. In return for his support, Modi is said to have inducted Gordhan Zadafia, Togadia's "right hand man" in VHP, as the Minister of State for Home. Togadia hailed the Modi Government as the start of the "Hindu Rashtra". In January 2002, he asked Hindus to cut all relations with Muslims. Through Zadafia, Togadia had an inside track into Modi's first government and had a substantial say in the postings of police officers in Gujarat. This enabled VHP and Bajrang Dal to orchestrate saffron terror during the 2002 Gujarat riots. Police officers such as Rahul Sharma that did not fall into line were transferred. Togadia and VHP/BJP activists also interfered with the treatment of victims in hospitals, telling doctors whom to treat and whom to turn away. Togadia hailed the conduct of the riots as the "Hindutva laboratory" and said that it will be replicated in Delhi. "A Hindu Rashtra can be expected in the next two years... We will change India's history and Pakistan's geography by then," he said. In the December 2002 elections to the Gujarat Assembly, Togadia campaigned for BJP enthusiastically, addressing more than 100 rallies.