After the Congress in its manifesto said that they would take decisive action against organisations like Bajrang Dal and Popular Front of India (PFI) for spreading hate, the BJP has claimed that this is an attack on the Hindu god Hanuman and his devotees.
BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra said what else could be expected from the party which considers chanting of Jai Sri Ram “communal politics” and an “insult to India”.
"It's Mangalwar (Tuesday) today and on this Mangalwar, Congress came up with an inauspicious thought. The party released its manifesto, a bundle of lies, in view of the Karnataka polls. We all saw how the Congress stooped down to the level of insulting Bajrang Bali from the holy land of Karnataka which is associated with the lord,” Patra told a press conference.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his public meeting at Hospet in Vijayanagara district on Tuesday too had come down heavily on the Congress promise of banning Bajrang Dal saying, “The Congress in its manifesto has decided to lock up Lord Hanuman. Initially, they locked up Prabhu Shri Ram (Lord Ram). And now they want to lock up people who say ‘Jai Bajrang Bali'.”
However, the Congress hit back, accusing the Prime Minister of equating Hanuman with Bajrang Dal.
Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said in a press briefing that it is “shameful” for the prime minister to draw such a parallel. He termed this “an insult” to crores of devotees of Lord Hanuman.
“The Prime Minister is insulting our faith in Lord Hanuman. He should apologise to the country as he has hurt our religious sentiments. No one has given the Prime Minister the right to insult Bajrang Bali," he said.
Meanwhile, the Bajrang Dal conducted 'Hanuman Chalisa' recital programmes across Karnataka on Thursday in protest against the Congress's manifesto.
After facing backlash, senior Congress leader and former Karnataka chief minister Veerappa Moily, however, said there was no suggestion before the party to ban Bajrang Dal if elected to power and the Congress had mentioned action against such organisations in its manifesto in the backdrop of the apex court's observations.
"DK Shivakumar will give more clarity... Even the Supreme Court has given judgement to stop hate politics. We have no proposal to ban the Bajrang Dal. I can tell you this as a leader," Mr Moily said.
(With inputs from PTI)
