Bengaluru: Days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi attacked the Congress for allegedly insulting Lord Hanuman in its election manifesto for the Karnataka assembly elections scheduled for 10 May, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has stepped up its effort to corner the Congress in the state.
The BJP Wednesday announced that it has instructed its cadre to gather in temples across Karnataka Thursday evening to recite the Hanuman Chalisa.
The Congress, in its election manifesto, had compared Hindutva group Bajrang dal to banned Islamist organisation Popular Front of India (PFI). Alleging that such outfits “promoted enmity” among communities, the party promised decisive action, including imposing a ban, on it.
Bajrang Dal, the youth wing of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), has reportedly been roped in by the BJP to organise the Hanuman Chalisa paatth across Karnataka. The outfit has a considerable presence in Karnataka’s coastal and Malnad regions.
Announcing the BJP’s plan, Union minister and convenor of the Karnataka election management committee Shobha Karandlaje told the media, “Sonia and Rahul (Gandhi) should answer why Congress party has abused Bajrang Bali. The Congress is doing appeasement politics for the Muslim vote. That’s the track record of the Congress party. They have abused Ram in the past and now they are abusing Hanuman.”
Addressing a BJP rally Tuesday in Karnataka’s Vijayanagara district, PM Modi had said, “The Congress had earlier locked up Lord Ram and now it wants to lock up those who chant ‘Jai Bajrang Bali’.”
The next day, to further galvanise party cadre, Modi chanted “Jai Bajrang Bali” during all three public meetings he addressed across Karnataka, along with a call of “Bharat Mata Ki Jai”.
During one rally, he also requested the people to show their support by flashing the torch on their phones and said, “Please cast your vote and don’t forget to chant ‘Jai Bajrang Bali’ when you exercise your right to vote.”
Speaking to ThePrint, Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar said, “It was the Congress which brought up the issue of ‘Bajrang Bali’ by promising a ban on Bajrang Dal. How can you compare PFI with Bajrang Dal? The Congress is looking for minority vote through appeasement politics. It was a Congress leader who had cried after the Batla encounter, now they want to humiliate Bajrangis.”
During the Batla House encounter of 2008, the Delhi Police had carried out an armed operation, during which members of terror outfit Indian Mujahideen had been killed. According to media reports, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi had allegedly “cried bitterly” upon seeing images of the slain terrorists.
Congress, in its response to Modi’s speech, said Lord Hanuman and Bajrang Dal can’t be equated.
“Lord Hanuman depicts piousness, Lord Hanuman depicts commitment to reverence & duty, Lord Hanuman symbolises service and sacrifice,” said Randeep Surjewala, Congress general secretary in-charge for Karnataka, according to reports. “To compare Lord Hanuman with any individual or organisation is an insult and the PM is hurting the feelings and sentiments of millions of devotees of Hanuman ji.”
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‘Congress doing appeasement politics’
However, faced with anti-incumbency in the state, the BJP seems to be using the issue to consolidate its Hindu vote base. And, taking their cue from Modi, BJP leaders are continuing to attack the Congress.
“During the Congress regime, on Sonia Gandhi’s instruction, it was said that the Ramayana is fictional, that Ram does not exist. The same party which didn’t accept Ram’s existence now wants to humiliate Bajrang Bali.… They are making every effort (to save the PFI). It’s the height of appeasement politics,” BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra told media persons.
The phrase ‘saffron terror’ was coined by Sonia Gandhi and the Congress, he said, adding that saffron robe-wearing people were branded as terrorists. “Now, they want to jail those who are followers of Bajrang Bali,” he added.
The central government had last year banned the PFI and its affiliates for five years, for its alleged links with “global terror organisations”.
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma claimed that the Congress’ manifesto seemed like it had been “propagated by the PFI”.
Moreover, the BJP was joined by the VHP in its attack on the Congress. In a video statement posted on Twitter, VHP international joint general secretary Surendra Jain said: “The Bajrang Dal is an organisation dedicated selflessly towards the cause of national interest and social interest.… (Our) proud workers have been obstructing the expansion of Islamist extremism.”
PM Modi, meanwhile, continued his attack on the Congress for “supporting terrorism”.
“People of Karnataka should not forget the history of Congress… It has always encouraged terrorism. They have always been sympathetic towards terror and terrorists,” he said.
In Chitradurga Tuesday, Modi reminded the crowds how the Congress had questioned the surgical strike that took place in 2019 and “raised questions on the capabilities of defence forces”.
Later, a senior BJP leader from Karnataka told ThePrint that the Congress had done “an own goal” by mentioning the Bajrang Dal in its manifesto.
“…there are a number of instances to show the Congress’ anti-Hindu stand…. The Congress government during the Ram Setu hearing, said the Ramayana is fictional…They questioned Ram’s existence…,” the leader said.
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)
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