No Plan to Ban Bajrang Dal in Karnataka: Moily Contradicts his Own Party Manifesto
Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, May 4: Contradicting his own party’s Karnataka election manifesto, a senior Congress leader on Thursday clarified that his party would not ban Bajrang Dal in Karnataka if voted to power in the May 10 elections.
Two days after the Congress in its election manifesto promised to ban Bajrang Dal if voted to power, a former Karnataka chief minister and veteran party leader Veerappa Moily, MP, addressing a gathering at Udupi on Thursday said it was not possible for a state government to ban an organisation and the Congress would not take any such step against the Bajrang Dal.
The Congress election manifesto released on Tuesday had created an uproar in the political circles and the BJP and other affiliates of the Sangh Parivar had launched nation-wide protests over a provision in the manifesto in which the party promised to ban radical organisations like the Bajrang Dal bracketing it with Popular Front of India, a Muslim organisation banned in many states by the central government for its alleged close affinity with some terror organisation.
The manifesto had triggered a backlash from members of the ruling BJP, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “We have mentioned both the PFI and the Bajrang Dal in our manifesto. This includes all (radical) outfits. Banning an outfit is not possible by a state government. The Bajrang Dal cannot be banned by the Karnataka government,” Moily said.
“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,” Moily, also a former Union Minister, added.
The clarification came as the BJP organised a demonstration against the manifesto, with former Karnataka minister and senior BJP leader KS Eshwarappa setting fire to the document in Kalaburgi. “Bajrang Dal is a patriotic organisation. This is an attempt by the Congress to support the PFI, an outfit that was banned by the centre under the anti-terror law,” he said.
The manifesto had said the Congress party was committed to taking “firm and decisive action” against individuals and organizations spreading “enmity or hatred, whether among majority or minority communities.” It had named the PFI and the Bajrang Dal, which is often linked with vigilantism, violence and moral policing.
The inclusion of the Bajrang Dal in the manifesto had drawn sharp criticism from Modi, who accused the Congress of insulting Lord Hanuman, a Hindu deity revered by the group. He also said the Congress had a problem with Lord Ram, another Hindu god whose temple the BJP wanted to build in Ayodhya.
Hitting back, the Congress accused the Prime Minister of “hurting religious sentiments” of devotees by equating Lord Hanuman with the Bajrang Dal and demanded an apology from him. Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said it was shameful that the prime minister has drawn such a parallel, which is an insult to crores of devotees of Lord Hanuman.
