Ranchi: Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) international general secretary Praveen Togadia has claimed that the dawn-to-dusk Bharat Bandh today (Nov 22, 2004) has evoked total response throughout the country.

''The success of the bandh is a befitting response against the Kanchi Shankaracharya's arrest,'' he said.

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Togadia offered puja at a temple in Ranchi and later laid the foundation stone for the construction of VHP's Jharkhand unit office.

He remained indoors after the programme.

''The people of the country made the bandh a success to demand the immediate release of Sankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi,'' Togadia told reporters.

Referring to the shifting of the Best Bakery case to Maharashtra from Gujarat, he demanded the shifting of the Sankaracharya case from Tamil Nadu High Court to Gujarat.