Bengaluru: General Secretary of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Dr Surendra Jain on Tuesday hit out at the Congress for equating Hindu rightwing organization Bajrang Dal with the Popular Front of India (PFI) and proposing a ban on the outfit in its manifesto ahead of the Karnataka assembly election. In a video statement, Jain said that it was “unfortunate that Congress today compared “nationalist” Bajrang Dal with anti-national and banned PFI”.
“People of the country will not accept it. Every member of Bajrang Dal is ready to sacrifice himself for the nation. On the other hand, the whole world is aware about the activities of the PFI,” Jain said. Jain's statement came hours after the Karnataka Congress released its manifesto in which it proposed to ban any outfit from the majority or the minority communties for “ promoting enmity or hatred”.
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"We believe that law and Constitution is sacrosanct and can not 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 any such organisations," the Karntaka Congress released on Tuesday read.
Assembly election in the state is scheduled to be held on May 10. The counting of votes will be done on May 13. Over equating Bajrang Dal with the PFI, Jain said that the PFI members stood for 'sar tan se juda' (beheading threats) gang and Congress supported them”. “The Bajrang Dal adopted democratic means to fight the terror of sar tan se juda gang.
The Congress and PFI have a clandestine alliance. That s why the Congress is bothered by the Bajrang Dal,” he said. Jain said that the Bajrang Dal “accepts this challenge and will answer it through democratic ways”. The VHP leader also targeted Congress leader Sonia Gandhi accusing Gandhi of defaming Bajrang Dal.
“We are not interested in politics, but you are dragging us into politics. While you defamed Bajrang Dal, you opposed ban on SIMI in the parliament,” Jain added. Meanwhile, the Congress, in its manifesto called 'Sarva Janangada Shanthiya Thota' (Peaceful garden of all communities) promised to provide 200 units of free electricity to every household, Rs 2,000 every month to every woman head of the family, Rs 3,000 per month for two years to unemployed graduates and Rs 1,500 per month to unemployed diploma holders if voted to power in the upcoming Karnataka assembly election.
