Amid ongoing protests against the Congress election manifesto which proposed decisive action against organisations spreading hatred amongst communities on the event of the party coming to power in Karnataka, senior leader M Veerappa Moily on Thursday said there was no proposal to ban Bajrang Dal, the youth wing of the RSS-affiliated VHP.
The former Karnataka Chief Minister said, “We haven’t said we will ban Bajrang Dal. We said organisations like PFI, Bajrang Dal disrupt peace in society. I was a law minister in Karnataka, state government can’t do it, even Bajrang Dal can’t be banned by the state government.”
He further said Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar will give clarification about the manifesto, adding “There was or now no such proposal before us.”
After visiting the Chamundeshwari temple in Mysuru, Shivakumar said, “We have a commitment to the development of Anjaneya (Lord Hanuman) temples across the state if the Congress party comes to power. Our party will also prioritise the construction of new Anjaneya (Lord Hanuman) temples in various parts of the state.”
“We will establish a special board to oversee the development of Anjanadri Hill and ensure its preservation. We will organise specific programs aimed at educating the youth about the principles and values embodied by Lord Anjaneya,” he said.
This is the second such statement stating there was no suggestion before the party to ban Bajrang Dal. On Wednesday, he had said that the party had promised action against such organisations in its poll manifesto in the backdrop of the Supreme Court’s observations against hate politics.
As part of its manifesto for the May 10 Assembly elections in Karnataka, Congress has stated that it is committed to taking strong and definitive measures against those who spread hatred on the basis of caste and religion.
The Congress said, “We believe that law and Constitution are sacrosanct and cannot be violated by individuals and organisations like Bajrang Dal, PFI or others promoting enmity or hatred, whether among majority or minority communities. We will take decisive action as per law including imposing a ban on such organisations.”
Sources in Congress told News18 that a post-manifesto survey showed that only 7% of voters in Karnataka were aware of the Bajrang Dal ban controversy, and less than 10% considered it an election issue. The party believes that most of these voters were already BJP supporters, and the issue has resulted in some loss of votes in four coastal Karnataka seats. However, the party is focusing on delivering its 5 Guarantees Cards in 90 seats to secure a majority, while the BJP is concentrating on the Bajrang Dal issue.
With inputs from News18