Senior Congress leader M Veerappa Moily has clarified that there is no immediate plan to ban the Bajrang Dal, a right-wing Hindu nationalist group, unless it engages in unlawful activities. The Congress party’s recent manifesto for the upcoming Assembly elections in Karnataka proposed outlawing the group, which has drawn criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). However, Moily emphasized that the reference should be viewed as a warning to the Bajrang Dal and not a concrete plan to ban it. Moily compared the Congress’s approach to the one taken by the former Home Minister Vallabhbhai Patel, who lifted the ban on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the parent organization of the BJP, after it provided an undertaking that it would not engage in illegal activities. He indicated that the Congress would adopt a similar approach and lift the ban if the Bajrang Dal agreed to abide by the law. The Congress party’s manifesto for the Assembly polls promises firm and decisive action against individuals and organizations spreading hatred among communities on the basis of caste and religion. The proposal to ban the Bajrang Dal is part of this commitment, but Moily clarified that the party would not take any action unless the group engaged in illegal activities. The Bajrang Dal has a history of being involved in communal violence, particularly against minorities, and has been accused of promoting hate speech and spreading communal discord. The group’s activities have been a source of concern for many, and some have called for it to be banned. The BJP, which is currently in power in Karnataka, has criticized the Congress’s proposal to ban the Bajrang Dal, calling it an attempt to appease minority communities. The BJP has accused the Congress of indulging in vote-bank politics and argued that the proposal is an attack on the Hindu community. The Congress, however, has defended its proposal, arguing that it is aimed at maintaining communal harmony and promoting a secular society. The party has emphasized that it is committed to protecting the rights of all communities and ensuring that they live in peace and harmony.The issue of communal violence and hate speech has been a contentious one in India, and the proposed ban on the Bajrang Dal has once again brought it to the forefront. The Congress’s proposal has sparked a debate about the role of right-wing groups in Indian society and the need for stricter laws to prevent hate speech and communal violence. In conclusion, while the Congress has proposed to outlaw the Bajrang Dal in its manifesto for the upcoming Assembly elections in Karnataka, senior party leader M Veerappa Moily has clarified that there is no immediate plan to ban the group. The party’s approach is similar to the one taken by the former Home Minister Vallabhbhai Patel, who lifted the ban on the RSS after it provided an undertaking not to engage in illegal activities. The issue of communal violence and hate speech has once again come to the forefront, and the proposed ban has sparked a debate about the role of right-wing groups in Indian society and the need for stricter laws to prevent hate speech and communal violence.
Senior Congress leader clarifies no plan to ban Bajrang Dal unless it engages in unlawful activities
