Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday chanted “Bajrang bali ki jai” at the end of all the three speeches in Karnataka, at Mulki and Ankola in coastal Karnataka and Bailhongal in Belagavi district.
This comes a day after he led the attack from the front on mention of Bajrang Dal in the Congress manifesto. The manifesto promised decisive action within the legal framework, including imposition of ban, on outfits spreading hate such as PFI or Bajrang Dal. On Tuesday, Mr. Modi had hit out at the Congress, saying the party was attempting to “lock up the devotees of Lord Hanuman.”
At Ankola, the Prime Minister also told people to punish those indulging in “culture of abuse” by pressing the button in the polling booth chanting “Jai Bajrang Bali.”
Meanwhile, the Congress stood its ground and said that Bajrang Dal, the outfit, cannot be equated with Lord Hanumanta. Responding to the parallel drawn by the BJP, KPCC president D.K. Shivakumar said: “I am also a Hindu, a devotee of Rama and Hanumanta. But is Bajrang Dal the same as Hanumanta?” He went to challenge the BJP to shun such “divisive and distorted narratives” and speak of actual problems of the people.
Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah said the Congress had promised firm and decisive action against all outfits spreading hate and it was mischievous to distort it.
