Thiruvananthapuram: Unfazed by the ban on his visit, Viswha Hindu Parishad (VHP) secretary general Praveen Togadia would make it to the State capital to address the Hindu rights declaration rally on April 10, the Hindu Aikya Vedi leader and VHP state organising secretary, Kummanom Rajasekheran said today (Apr 8, 2004).

Addressing a press conference, Rajasekheran dubbed the Thiruvanthapuram district collector's order to ban Togadia's visit to the city as "undemocratic and violation of a citizen's rights".

Rajasekheran said that Togadia had informed the organisers of the rally that he would be attending the rally as scheduled.

Lashing out at the A K Antony Government, Rajasekheran said the ban was "plain appeasement of religious fundamentalist elements in the State".

There was no justification for the ban and grounds cited to restrict Togadia's visit were unfounded, he said.

Rajasekharan said the order amounted to "suppression of rights of the Hindu community" and as such "a dangerous trend".

District collector K R Muraleedharan yesterday (Apr 7, 2004) issued orders banning the entry of Togadia to address a public meeting organised by Hindu Aikya Vedi to mark the conclusion of its "Hindu Rights declaration rallies". The ban order was based on the intelligence reports that Togadia visit may spark communal tension.