New Delhi: The Bajrang Dal on Tuesday staged a protest against the Congress for its promise to ban the outfit in Karnataka if voted to power in the state. Bajrang Dal workers protesting near the Congress headquarters in Delhi and Mangaluru in Karnataka, demanding the party to take back its promise. They were also seen burning the Congress manifesto for the May 10 Karnataka Assembly elections and raising slogans against party leader Rahul Gandhi.
In its Karnataka election manifesto released on TuesdayCongress said it was committed to taking strong and decisive action against individuals and organizations like Bajrang Dal and Popular Front of India (PFI) who “spread hatred” between communities on the basis of caste and religion. Action would include ‘sanctions’ against such organisations, the opposition party promised.
#Watch, Mangaluru, Karnataka: Bajrang Dal protests near Congress office and burns Congress manifesto (02/05)
Congress announced it #KarnatakaElection2023 Manifesto to ban Bajrang Dal on the lines of PFI. pic.twitter.com/oHBam0F71o– ANI (@ANI) May 2, 2023
Bajrang Dal is the youth wing of the RSS-affiliated Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP).
VHP leaders, who also protested in Delhi, said Bajrang Dal is the ‘pride of the country’ and would launch a massive nationwide agitation if the Congress did not change its Karnataka election manifesto to withdraw the promise.
“Bajrang Dal is an organization that ignites the flame of nationalism, saves the shame of lakhs of women, saves Gau Mata (Cow Mother) from slaughter and donates blood to save lakhs of lives in the country. Bajrang Dal Desh is the pride of.” VHP spokesperson Vijay Shankar Tiwari told reporters, and the Congress compared it to the banned terror outfit PFI.
He said the Congress has hatched a plan to commit “suicide” by comparing the Bajrang Dal with the PFI, which was banned by the central government in September last year for alleged terrorist activities. He alleged that the Congress was in collusion with terrorists and rioters.
He alleged that by its promise to ban Bajrang Dal, the Congress has once again proved that it is anti-Hindu.
Delhi VHP secretary Surendra Gupta said the Congress should either change its “mindset” or accept that it is “anti-Hindu”.
“The central leadership of the Congress should intervene and take back the poll promise of the party, otherwise we will launch a massive agitation across the country,” he said.
‘Nationalist organisation’ being ‘defamed’: VHP on Congress manifesto
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad on Tuesday hit out at the Congress’ promise to ban the Bajrang Dal if voted to power in Karnataka, saying the party had defamed a “nationalist” organization by doing so.
VHP joint general secretary Surendra Jain said in a video message that the Bajrang Dal would take the Congress’s poll promise of banning it as a challenge and the party would respond “democratically”.
Read this also | PM Modi criticizes Congress’ Karnataka manifesto that promises to ban Bajrang Dal
He said, “While releasing its manifesto for the Karnataka elections, the way Congress has compared Bajrang Dal, a nationalist organization, with the notorious anti-national, terrorist and banned organization PFI, it is unfortunate.”
Jain said that each member of Bajrang Dal is ‘dedicated’ to serve the country and society, while the whole world is aware of the activities of PFI.
“You cannot cheat the people of the country, (senior Congress leader) Sonia Gandhi. The way you have tried to defame Bajrang Dal, the people of the country will not accept it. Every worker of Bajrang Dal will take it as a I will take up the challenge,” he said.
Hitting out at former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, he also said that her party’s “hidden agenda” has come out in the open with poll promises.
The VHP leader said the Bajrang Dal and the people of the country accept the challenge and “will respond in all democratic ways”.