The Congress on May 2 accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of ‘insulting’ Lord Hanuman by comparing him with the Bajrang Dal and asked Mr. Modi to apologise for hurting religious sentiments.
Hours after the Congress manifesto for the Karnataka Assembly elections promised to ban the Bajrang Dal on the lines of the Popular Front of India, Mr. Modi claimed that the Congress wants to lock up all those who want to chant “ Jai Bajrangbali”.
“At a time when I have come to pay my respects in Lord Hanuman’s land, the Congress party in its manifesto has decided to lock up Bajrangbali. Earlier, they had locked up Lord Ram and now they have resolved to lock all those who chant Jai Bajrangbali,” Prime Minister Modi said at an election rally in Hospet.
Hitting back at the Prime Minister, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said Mr. Modi’s comment had hurt the religious sentiments of crores of Lord Hanuman’s devotees like him.
“The Prime Minister is insulting our faith in Lord Hanuman. He should apologise to the country as he has hurt our religious sentiments. No one has given the Prime Minister the right to insult Bajrangbali,” he told reporters while pulling out a copy of Hanuman Chalisa from his jacket pocket.
Mr. Khera said if the Prime Minister didn’t know the subversive activities of the Bajrang Dal in States like Madhya Pradesh, then he should check with BJP leader Jyotiraditya Scindia.
“In 2017, he [Mr. Scindia] had said that they [Bajrang Dal] are an ISI-certified party. Pick up the phone and ask Jyotiraditya Scindia about his views on Bajrang Dal,” Mr Khera said.
