Former Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Pravin Togadia on Tuesday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he launched an indefinite fast in Ahmedabad for the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya and the overall “welfare” of Hindus, reported PTI.

“Narendra Modi walked on the corpses of 59 kar sevaks who lost their lives in the Godhra massacre in 2002,” said Togadia, who quit as VHP’s international working president on April 14 after his nominee Raghav Reddy was defeated in the election for the post of president. “Three hundred Hindus were killed by bullets fired by the Gujarat Police during the 2002 riots when Modi was the state chief minister. Over 50,000 people were arrested of which a number have been sentenced to life imprisonment. These people are facing these consequences only because they wanted a Ram temple built in Ayodhya. They voted Modi to power because they wanted to see a temple.”

The former VHP leader claimed that Modi and his government had failed to deliver on their promises. “They have gone back on their word regarding the temple, ban on cow slaughter, teaching a lesson to Pakistan for state-sponsored terrorism, abolition of Article 370 and bringing a uniform civil code,” he said, according to DNA. He also criticised the Centre for continuing with initiatives introduced by the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government, such as the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, the Goods and Service Tax and the foreign direct investment in the retail sector and others.

Togadia also asked his supporters to take an oath to compel the BJP government to construct the Ram temple, provide employment to the youth and security to women, offer quality and affordable education and improve the welfare of the Hindu community.

Togadia began the fast outside the state VHP headquarters in Paldi area at noon along with 500 supporters. The hunger strike was earlier set to take place at GMDC Ground, but the police denied them permission.