Launching a scathing attack on the Congress over its poll promise of outlawing right-wing organisation such as Bajrang Dal and Islamist organisation Peoples Front of India (PFI), Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the party first locked up Lord Ram and has now vowed to lock up those who chant “Jai Bajrang Bali”.
Read here: PFI-like ban on Bajrang Dal in Cong’s manifesto
Modi also attacked Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and his son Priyank Kharge of insulting him at an election rally in Hospet in Karnataka, which will vote for a new state assembly on May 10.
“Today it is my great fortune to bow down to this holy land of Hanuman ji. But, see the misfortune. Today, when I have come here, at the same time the Congress party has decided to lock Bajrang Bali in its manifesto,” Modi said in Hospet. “Earlier they locked up Shri Ram and now they have decided to lock up those who chant Jai Bajrang Bali.” Lord Hanuman is called Bajrang Bali by devotees.
Modi addressed four rallies on Tuesday in Chitradurga, Hospet, Sindhanur and in Kalaburagi, and is expected to address rallies in Mulki and Ankola on Wednesday.
{{/usCountry}}Modi addressed four rallies on Tuesday in Chitradurga, Hospet, Sindhanur and in Kalaburagi, and is expected to address rallies in Mulki and Ankola on Wednesday.
{{/usCountry}}Bajrang Dal is the youth wing of the Vishva Hindu Parishad, an affiliate of Bharatiya janata Party’s ideological fount Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. Any attempt to ban Bajrang Dal would be an “insult” to the Hindu faith, the Parishad said in a statement.
The state opposition Congress, which released its manifesto on Tuesday, proposed a ban on organisations such as the Bajrang Dal and PFI, saying that it was committed to taking firm and decisive action against individuals and organisations spreading hatred among communities on grounds of caste or religion.
“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,” Congress’s manifesto said.
To be sure, PFI and its affiliate organisations was banned by the Union home ministry on September 28 last year and its assets were subsequently seized across the country. However, the Social Democratic Party of India, the political wing of PFI, has not been banned and it is contesting in some seats in coastal Karnataka region.
BJP MP Tejasvi Surya took to Twitter on Tuesday to call himself a “Bajrangi”, and dared the Congress to ban him. “I am a Bajrangi. I am a Kannadiga and this is the land of Hanuman. I dare the Congress to ban me!” Surya tweeted. He changed his Twitter profile photo to depict Hanuman.
Modi also saidthat Congress has a history of “appeasing terror and terrorists”, and the party had allegedly questioned the country’s defence forces when the surgical strikes and air strikes had been carried out.
“People of Karnataka should never forget Congress’s history and thinking. Congress’s history is about appeasing terror and terrorists. When the Batla House encounter happened in Delhi, there were tears in the eyes of Congress’s top most leader, hearing about the death of terrorists,” Modi said.
“In Karnataka, you have seen how Congress is encouraging terrorism. Congress had left Karnataka to the ‘rehemokaram’ (mercy) of terrorists. It is the BJP that broke the back of the terrorists, and has ended the game of appeasement,” he said, adding that for a prosperous Karnataka, it was important for the state to be safe.
The BJP was committed to making Karnataka the number one state in the country, Modi said. “I pray for the accomplishment of this vow by bowing my head at the feet of Lord Hanuman. The BJP will never let anyone damage the honour and culture of Karnataka,” he said.
Read here: ‘Want to become prime minister’, PM Modi asks kids in Karnataka. Watch
In response, the Congress said the parallel with Hanuman and the Banjrang Dal was an insult to the 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,” Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera told reporters.
In Sindhanur in Old Mysuru region, Modi accused the Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) for indulging in politics when the Centre was trying to rescue people from war-torn Sudan and Ukraine, and during the Covid pandemic.
“Civil war is on in Sudan these days, bullets are being fired, bombs are exploding and there is an outcry. We are working day and night to get every Indian citizen back from there safely, but Congress leaders did politics on this too, and tried to instigate several families,” he alleged.
Modi also targeted Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and his MLA son Priyank Kharge for allegedly calling him a “venomous snake” and “nalayak” (incompetent) respectively.
“Listening to Congress and its leaders’ language, words and seeing their egoistic attitude in this election campaign, not just me, the whole country is shocked. Every aware citizen is feeling ashamed of it,” Modi said, adding that the opposition party has forgotten to respect Karnataka’s ‘maan maryada’ (pride and dignity).
At the beginning of election campaigning, Kharge took on the role of “opening batsman” to enter the field and called Modi a “snake” to make “one family happy” despite the latter’s long experience in politics, the Prime Minister said. “Then his son took over the command. Whatever the ‘layak’ (worthy) father said, his ‘layak’ (worthy) son took it forward. Whatever happened, I can’t even repeat it,” he added.
This his Modi’s second leg of campaigning for the 224-member Karnataka assembly, voting for which will take place on May 10. Votes will be counted on May 13.
(With agency inputs)