Kalaburagi, May 4 (UNI) Launching a scathing attack on the Congress party's promise to ban Bajrang Dal in its poll manifesto, senior BJP leader KS Eshwarappa on Thursday burnt a copy of it and labelled it as Mohammad Ali Jinnah's document.
"Mohammad Ali Jinnah had said 'hans ke liya hai Pakistan ladke lenge Hindustan' (Pakistan has been taken in a jest, we will take India by fighting) - meaning that day itself Jinnah had given a treasonous call. This is Mohammad Ali Jinnah's manifesto. This is not Congress manifesto, but Muslim League's. From where did the Congress get this courage to ban Bajrang Dal?," he told reporters in a press conference here.
Before addressing the media, the former Deputy Chief Minister burnt the copy of the Congress manifesto which states that the party is committed to take decisive steps against individuals and organisations spreading hatred amongst communities on grounds of caste and religion.
Moreover, the Congress wants to divide the society by giving direct support to PFI which is involved in terrorist and anti-India activities, Eshwarappa said.
"On whom should the Congress take action against? They wanted to send Bajrang Dal karyakartas to jail, but they had taken back 173 cases against PFI. They are not only dividing the society, but also giving direct support to terrorist and anti-India activities. Because of this, the people of Karnataka had thrown the Congress out of power," he said.
Eshwarappa also said Bajrang Dal is a nationalist organisation and works to protect the Hindu culture from the onslaught of jihadi and missionary organisations.
Yesterday in a massive U-turn, Congress party's Veerappa Moily had said there was no suggestion before the party to ban Bajrang Dal. This statement came after a massive backlash the Congress faced from the saffron brigade.
Another Congress leader Acharya Krishnam also had expressed concern of the Congress facing a dent in the electoral prospects for promising to ban Bajrang Dal in its manifesto.
He had argued that Bajrang Dal is a "subversive" organization, not a terrorist outfit, and hence it is unfair to ban them. "No state government has the right to ban Bajrang Dal as it is a Pan-India organisation," he said.
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