This news article from NDTV reports that the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), a right-wing Hindu nationalist organisation, has criticised the Congress party’s manifesto for the Karnataka assembly elections, in which the party has promised to take firm and decisive action against the Bajrang Dal, a youth wing of the VHP, for “spreading hatred” amongst communities on grounds of caste and religion. The VHP has called the Congress party’s comparison of the Bajrang Dal with the Popular Front of India (PFI), an infamous anti-national, terrorist and banned organisation, unfortunate and has said that every activist of the Bajrang Dal will take it as a challenge. The VHP has also accused the Congress of having a hidden agenda and has threatened to respond in all democratic ways.
The Bajrang Dal and the people of the country accept this challenge and “a reply will be given in all democratic ways”, the VHP leader added.
Hitting out at the Congress in a series of tweets, VHP national spokesperson Vinod Bansal said the party which is being rejected all over the country is daydreaming of banning the Bajrang Dal.
It appears that the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and its youth wing, the Bajrang Dal, are responding to the Congress party’s promise to ban the Bajrang Dal if voted to power in the upcoming Karnataka assembly elections. VHP joint general secretary, Surendra Jain, stated in a video message that the Bajrang Dal would take the Congress’ poll promise as a challenge and reply to the party in democratic ways. VHP national spokesperson, Vinod Bansal, also criticized the Congress in a series of tweets, stating that the party is being rejected all over the country and is daydreaming of banning the Bajrang Dal. It remains to be seen how this political issue will play out in the elections.
