New Delhi: A Punjab court today summoned Congress part y chief Mallikarjun Kharge in a Rs 100 core defamation case over the party equating the banned Islamic outfit Popular Front of India (PFI) with Bajrang Dal, the youth wing of the Sangh-affiliated Vishwa Hindu Parishad, in its Karnataka Assembly election manifesto.
The Sangrur district court summoned the Congress President after a complaint from a Hitesh Bhardwaj, who claims he heads an outfit called “Bajrang Dal Hindustan.” He said the Congress in its manifesto compared Bajrang Dal with “anti-national organisations like SIMI and Al-Qaeda” during the recently-concluded state polls.
Naming the Bajrang Dal, the Congress had in its manifesto promised to ban organisations that promote “enmity or hatred, whether among majority or minority communities”.
“The Congress Party is committed to take firm and decisive action against individuals and organisations spreading hatred amongst communities on grounds of caste or religion. We believe that law and Constitution is 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,” the Congress manifesto, called ‘Sarva Janangada Shanthiya Thota’ (peaceful garden of all communities), read, adding that the party, if voted to power in the state, will take ‘decisive action’ as per law, including imposing a ban on them.
Outgoing Karnataka minister and BJP leader CN Ashwathnarayan, who retained his seat in the Malleshwaram constituency, on result day challenged the Congress to ban the Bajrang Dal, which is often linked with vigilantism, violence, and moral policing.
“How dare they talk about banning Bajrang Dal. Let them try. We will show what we can do,” he said.
The Congress, however, was forced to clarify its promise after massive backlash from BJP leaders, including public taunts by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at election rallies.
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