'Bajrang Dal has not claimed responsibility for attacks'

With increasing demands that the Bajrang Dal be banned, the VHP denied that the Dal, claimed responsibility for the spate of attacks on churches in Karnataka.

With increasing demands that the Bajrang Dal be banned, the Vishva Hindu Parishad on Tuesday denied that the Dal, its frontal organisation, claimed responsibility for the spate of attacks on churches in Karnataka.

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A VHP spokesperson said that its functionary arrested in Karnataka had only objected to Hindu deities being shown in poor light in missionary pamphlets and denied to have ever claimed any responsibility for the church attacks.

"The Indira Gandhi government had banned Bajrang Dal earlier and faced a defeat. We have the support of the people of Hindu community, let any party ban us," said VHP spokesperson Surendra Jain.

Challenging the call for a ban on the Bajrang Dal raised by different political parties, the VHP said the Dal would continue to work for protecting the rights of the majority community.

Bajrang Dal convener Prakash Sharma claimed its Karnataka convener was arrested for protesting Hindu deities being shown in poor light by evangelists.

"Our Karnataka convener Mahendra Kumar was arrested after he raised public protests against Hindu Gods and Goddesses being shown in poor light in evangelist literature," said Bajrang Dal's national convener Prakash Sharma.

"Kumar's arrest is being misconstrued by the media and others as Bajrang Dal having claimed responsibility for the church attacks in Karnataka," he added.

Jain maintained that independent investigations are on by both the state government and the Union Home ministry and claimed the probes would reveal how offended locals and no organisation was responsible for the attacks.