BackPunjab court summons Mallikarjun Kharge in Bajrang Dal defamation case
In its poll manifesto for May 10 assembly polls in Karnataka, Congress has said that it is committed to taking firm and decisive action against individuals and organizations such as the Bajrang Dal and the Popular Front of India (PFI).
PremiumPunjab Court summoned Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in a ₹100 crores defamation case filed by Hitesh Bhardwaj, the founder of Hindu Suraksha Parishad, against him for allegedly making defamatory remarks against Bajrang Dal during the recently concluded Karnataka elections.
Bhardwaj claimed that the grand old party compared Bajrang Dal with anti-national organizations. In addition to this, Congress also promised to impose a ban on Bajrang Dal after coming to power in Karnataka.
“I moved to court on Thursday after I found that on page number 10 of the manifesto, Congress has compared Bajrang Dal with the anti-national organizations and also promised to ban it if they win the election," Bhardwaj said as quoted by Hindustan Times.
The court of civil judge (senior division) Ramandeep Kaur has directed Kharge to appear before the court in Sangrur on July 10.
The Chandigarh unit of Vishva Hindu Parishad and its youth wing Bajrang Dal on May 4, issued a legal notice to Kharge and accused him of making defamatory remarks against the Bajrang Dal in his party's Karnataka poll manifesto. VHP even demanded compensation of more than ₹100 crore.
In its poll manifesto for May 10 assembly polls in Karnataka, Congress has said that it is committed to taking firm and decisive action against individuals and organizations such as the Bajrang Dal and the Popular Front of India (PFI) for allegedly 'spreading hatred' among communities on grounds of caste and religion.
"That in the manifesto on Page 10, you made defamatory statements against the Bajrang Dal, the associate body of the Vishva Hindu Parishad by declaring to ban the organization and comparing it to outlawed terrorist organizations like the Popular Front of India and similar terrorist organizations like Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) which are outlawed under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act by the Government of India," VHP's lawyer and co-head of its legal cell Sahil Bansal charged in the legal notice.
"The PFI and SIMI are terrorist organizations associated with Al Qaeda and ISIS and other global terrorist organizations proscribed by the United Nations General Assembly and by more than 100 nations as well as proscribed under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act," he added.
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