Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on May 6 accused the Congress of attempting to 'make a mockery' of Hindu faith by proposing to ban Bajrang Dal, which the majority community will not tolerate and accept.
He also alleged that those who do not like ‘Ek Bharat, Sreshtha Bharat’ (One India, Great India) are backing the ‘anti-national’ organisations such as 'Popular Front of India' (PFI).
Mr. Adityanath, who is also the head priest of Gorakhnath Math, said in a public meeting in Koppa in Chikkamagaluru district of poll-bound Karnataka, that he came from the land of Rama in Uttar Pradesh to the land of Hanuman (Karnataka).
“The bonding between the two States underlines the fact that they are integrally one and “materialise” the concept of ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat’,” he said.
“Those who don’t like ‘Ek Bharat, Sreshth Bharat’ somewhere encourage anti-social and anti-national organisations such as PFI on the one hand and on the other, they want to ban organisations which are committed to patriotism and social service. Banning Bajrang Dal means Congress is trying to make a mockery of the Hindu faith. Hindu community will not tolerate and accept it,” the BJP leader said.
Noting that the Ram temple issue in Ayodhya that was pending for more than 500 years and has been resolved by the "power of a slogan", Mr. Adityanath asked the crowd to repeat after him, ‘ Jaikaara Veer Bajrangi, Har Har Mahadev’.
As Mr. Adityanath raised the slogan, the crowd followed him. He then appealed to those gathered there to take this slogan to every section of the society, so that those supporters of PFI "bite the dust".
"When the Congress and the JD(S) government was in power in Karnataka, the PFI was encouraged," he claimed.
“But due to the ‘double-engine government’ (of the BJP) there is peace, harmony and security. Just as Uttar Pradesh has become a peaceful State, the double engine government in Karnataka tried to break the backbone of PFI by banning it.” The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister also invited the people of Karnataka to attend the grand opening of Ram Temple in Ayodhya in January next year.
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The Congress in its manifesto for the Assembly polls released earlier this week said it was committed to take firm and decisive action against individuals and organisations spreading hatred amongst communities on grounds of caste and religion.
The party said: “We believe that law and Constitution are sacrosanct and cannot be violated by individuals and organisations such as Bajrang Dal, PFI or others promoting enmity or hatred, whether among majority or minority communities. We will take decisive action as per law including imposing a ban on such organisations".
