New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday attacked the Congress for proposing to ban Bajrang Dal in its Karnataka election manifesto, saying that it was making an attempt to lock up those that worship Lord Hanuman.
With election barely per week away, he additional criticised the opposition social gathering for evaluating the banned Islamic outfit In style Entrance of India (PFI) with the Bajrang Dal, the youth wing of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP).
“Earlier the Congress locked up Lord Ram and now they need to lock up those that chant ‘Jai Bajrang Bali’,” the PM instructed a BJP rally. “Don’t you bear in mind how a high Congress chief cried through the Batla Home encounter?”
Modi was referring to former regulation minister Salman Khurshid’s assertion in Azamgarh in February 2012, the place he stated that Sonia Gandhi had wept bitterly after watching photographs
of the Batla Home encounter.
Addressing an election rally in Vijayanagara district, Modi sought to play the Hindutva card as he spoke in regards to the place’s hyperlink with Lord Hanuman.
“I’ve come to the land of Lord Hanuman. I’m lucky that I acquired the chance to pay obeisance to his land. However see the misfortune that when I’ve come to pay my respect to his land, the Congress has determined to lock up Lord Hanuman,” he stated, hinting on the birthplace of Lord Hanuman, Anjanadri Hills.
“Initially, they locked up Shri Ram and now they need to lock up individuals who say ‘Jai Bajrang Bali’. It’s a misfortune of this nation that the Congress had the issue with Shri Ram and now with the individuals who say ‘Jai Bajrang Bali’.”
His assault on the Congress got here hours after it launched the Karnataka ballot manifesto through which it talked about cracking down on divisive forces such because the Bajrang Dal and the PFI.
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BJP steps up assault as effectively
Taking a cue from the prime minister, the BJP in Delhi attacked the Congress for denying the existence of Lord Ram throughout its rule.
“Through the Congress regime, on Sonia Gandhi’s instruction, it was stated that Ramayan is fictional, that Ram doesn’t exist. The identical social gathering which didn’t settle for Ram’s existence now desires to humiliate Bajrang Bali. … They’re making each effort (to avoid wasting the PFI). It’s the peak of appeasement politics ,” BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra stated.
The phrase ‘saffron terror’ was coined by Sonia Gandhi and the Congress, he stated, including that saffron robe-wearing folks had been branded as terrorists. “Now, they need to jail those that are followers of Bajrang Bali.”
In 2022, the Centre had banned the PFI and its associates for 5 years, for his or her hyperlinks to terror teams. Dozens of PFI members had been arrested throughout a nation-wide crackdown spanning seven states final yr.
Amongst numerous prices, the Bajrang Dal is accused of cow vigilantism and taking regulation in its hand to cease interfaith marriages. The outfit has a substantial presence in Karnataka’s coastal and Malnad areas.
Equally, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma claimed that the Congress manifesto regarded like “a manifesto propagated by the PFI”.
“The erstwhile Siddaramaiah authorities withdrew instances towards the PFI. So, they’re saying they’ll ban the Bajrang Dal to appease the Muslims. … The Congress manifesto appears to be like just like the manifesto of the PFI and fundamentalist Muslim organizations,” he stated.
The VHP, too, took the identical line to assault the Congress social gathering. “The Bajrang Dal is an organisation devoted selflessly in the direction of the reason for nationwide curiosity and social curiosity. … (Our) proud employees have been obstructing the growth of Islamist extremism,” VHP worldwide joint normal secretary Surendra Jain stated in a video assertion posted on Twitter.
At ballot rallies earlier within the day, PM Modi hit out on the Congress for supporting terrorism and its sympathy in the direction of terrorists.
“Individuals of Karnataka shouldn’t overlook the historical past of Congress. .. The Congress has all the time inspired terrorism. They (Congress leaders) have all the time been sympathetic in the direction of terror and terrorists,” he stated, not directly hinting on the political row after the 2008 Batla Home encounter.
In Chitradurga too, Modi reminded the crowds how the Congress had questioned the surgical strike that happened in 2019. “When the surgical strike occurred, the Congress social gathering raised questions on the capabilities of defence forces,” he stated.
Later, a senior BJP chief from Karnataka instructed ThePrint that the Congress had executed “an personal aim” by mentioning the Bajrang Dal in its manifesto.
“…there are a selection of cases to point out the Congress’ anti-Hindu stand and its minority appeasement politics. The Congress authorities through the Ram Setu listening to, stated the Ramayan is fictional…They questioned Ram’s existence whereas the whole nation worships him,” the BJP chief stated.
He additional acknowledged that the BJP now has a problem to nook the opposition in a story warfare forward of the elections.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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