VHP chief Pravin Togadia (File) VHP chief Pravin Togadia (File)

VISHWA HINDU Parishad (VHP) chief Pravin Togadia on Thursday accused the Intelligence Bureau (IB) of “snooping” on the organisation’s members and “harassing” them. In a letter to the IB director, with copies marked to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Togadia equated the situation with the Emergency era.

He wrote, “We were saddened and shocked to hear and see the Central IB officers questioning VHP, India Health Line & Hindu Help Line volunteers at various places.” India Health Line and Hindu Help Line are VHP initiatives to help the needy in medical and other emergencies.

The VHP chief alleged that IB officers are “pushing” volunteers to give details of how they “operate, who are the people associated with these organisations”. “This,” he wrote, “is horrible, and resembles (the) Emergency time.” He also sought “immediate apology from the Central IB and from the Ministry under which it works”. The IB is under the Union Home Ministry. About Togadia’s letter, a senior ministry official said, “We have not received the letter. We will take cognizance as it comes to our notice.”

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