Kolkata: Union Minister of State for Home Swami Chinmayananda on August 15 said the action of the Bihar government packing off VHP (Vishwa Hindu Parishad) International General Secretary Praveen Togadia from Patna Airport when he arrived to participate in Independence Day celebrations, as a violation of democracy.

"The Rabri Devi government acted at the behest of the Congress to hustle Togadia to Delhi from Patna Airport after he arrived from Mumbai," Chinmayananda, told reporters in Kolkata.

"This is a democracy and each of us has the right to go to the people. The treatment meted out to Togadia was a gross in violation of the democratic set up," the Minister said.

Chinmayananda was of the opinion that the situation where Togadia was to participate in the celebrations was unlike what the Bihar government sought to project.

Togadia, earlier in the day, was not allowed to come out of the LNJP International airport at Patna and was made to board the same flight to Delhi by the Patna district authorities.

The Patna district administration had also banned all programmes of Togadia and clamped section 144 of CrPC apprehending breach of peace in Patna sub-division area during his visit.

PTI