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How Bajrang Dal became a key focus in Karnataka election?
- Congress may have dug its own grave when it put forth a proposal in its election manifesto to ban Bajrang Dal if the party is elected to power
Rather than tackling the multitude of issues affecting the state, the Congress' push to ban a certain outfit has taken center stage in the Karnataka election discourse. The outfit is Bajrang Dal - the youth wing of the Vishva Hindu Parishad - and the Congress may have dug its own grave when it put forth a proposal in its election manifesto to ban Bajrang Dal if the party is elected to power. Banning Bajrang Dal in a state considered the birthplace of Lord Hanuman. Imagine the horror!
Congress in its manifesto for the upcoming May 10 Karnataka Assembly election 2023 said it will take "decisive action" as per law including banning organisations like Bajrang Dal and others, triggering outbursts among the outfit members and top leaders.
With the 2023 Karnataka Assembly election just a few days away, Congress' call to ban Bajrang Dal has stirred a new political climate in the state, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) strategically leveraging it to their benefit, shifting much of its focus from "parivar-vaad", "nalayak beta", and "zehreela saanp".
At a rally in Karnataka, Prime Minister Narendra Modi lead "Jai Bajrang Bali [Hail Hanuman]" chants, accusing the Congress of trying to lock up those who worship Lord Hanuman. PM Modi said Congress had earlier locked up Lord Rama and now it wanted to lock up those who chant 'Jai Bajrang Bali'.
"I have come to the land of Hanuman...It is the misfortune of the country that the Congress had a problem with Lord Rama and now it has difficulty with those who say 'Jai Bajrang Bali'," PM Modi said.
The BJP said the Congress proposal to ban Bajrang Dal was an insult to Lord Hanuman himself, while Congress demanded PM Modi's apology accusing him of hurting religious sentiments of devotees by "equating" Lord Hanuman with Bajrang Dal.
The BJP said, "Lord Hanuman is the pride of Karnataka. Karnataka is the land of Lord Hanuman and the Congress has insulted our lord."
Amid the controversy, the ruling party decided to recite Hanuman Chalisa across Karnataka and hold a protest against the Congress over its promise to ban Bajrang Dal. Hanuman Chalisa was recited in parts of Karnataka on Thursday, while some senior BJP leaders also burnt the Congress manifesto to register their protest, terming it a "manifesto of Muslim League".
The protest wasn't limited to demonstrations and sloganeering. Some Bajrang Dal members stormed the Congress office in Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur and vandalised it.
With Lord Hanuman on centerstage, Congress surely did feel the heat with emotions of pro-Hindu outfits running high. Huddling to control the damage it had done, Congress adopted a defensive stance and declared the construction of Hanuman temples across the state, with some leaders even making a temple run.
"We have a commitment to the development of Anjaneya (Lord Hanuman) temples across the state if the Congress party comes to power. Our party will also prioritise the construction of new Anjaneya (Lord Hanuman) temples in various parts of the state," Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar said after visiting Chamundeshwari temple in Mysuru; while Priyanka Gandhi Vadra visited the ancient Kamakagiri temple in the state.
Karnataka is going to polls on 10 May and the election result will be declared on 13 May.
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Business NewsNewsHow Bajrang Dal became a key focus in Karnataka election?
First Published:5 May 2023, 04:19 PM IST
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