Say 'Jai Bajrangbali' while casting vote, PM Modi says in Karnataka
Congress calls it attempt to polarise election to avoid corruption issue
Ankola/Bengaluru/New Delhi, May 3: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday urged the people of Karnataka to say 'Jai Bajrangbali' when they cast their vote to "punish" the Congress for its "culture of abuse", as BJP leaders stepped up attack on the opposition party over its election manifesto promise of banning the Bajrang Dal.
Hitting back, the Congress alleged that Prime Minister Modi and his party are refusing to speak about the "scam-ridden" BJP government in Karnataka and are "merely looking for lame-duck excuses to polarise the election". The party defended its stand against the Bajrang Dal, saying the Constitution prescribes action against any individual and organisation spreading hatred or enmity.
Addressing a public meeting in Uttara Kannada district, Modi said the Congress and its leaders hate and abuse him because he has crashed their "corrupt system".
"In this election, Congress is seeking votes in the name of its leader who is retiring...the other way in which they are seeking votes is by abusing Modi... .
"Will anyone in Karnataka accept this culture of abuse? What will you (people) do this time? Will you punish them? Will you punish the abusers?... When you press the button in the polling booth, punish them by saying 'Jai Bajrangbali'," he added.
Prime Minister Modi also urged the audience at all his rallies to raise the chant of 'Bajranjbali ki Jai' with him, besides his usual slogans of 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' and ' Vande Mataram', hailing the motherland.
Modi had come down heavily on the Congress on Tuesday after its poll promise of banning Bajrang Dal, saying the Congress in its manifesto "has decided to lock up Lord Hanuman. Initially, they locked up Prabhu Shri Ram (Lord Ram). And now they want to lock up people who say 'Jai Bajrang Bali' (Hail Hanuman)."
On Wednesday, he made it a point at the beginning as well as at the end of his speech to raise the slogan praising Lord Hanuman in Mulki in Dakshina Kannada district, Ankola in Uttara Kannada and Bailhongal in Belagavi.
The BJP, its Karnataka unit and other party leaders also tweeted on Wednesday with the hashtag 'HanumaBhaktaModi'.
The BJP had termed the Congress move as an "insult" to Lord Hanuman and the 'height of appeasement".
The Bajrang Dal has, meanwhile, announced it will conduct 'Hanuman Chalisa' recital programmes across Karnataka on Thursday.
"This is the time when 'Dharma' is in danger and standing together is the only way forward. We should set aside our differences and come together to protect dharma, and hold hands together," the right-wing organisation said in a statement.
However, Congress leader Randeep Surjewala said that the Constitution and law "are clear - any individual or organisation spreading hatred or enmity must be proceeded against in accordance with law".
"The duty to follow Raj darma is of the prime minister and chief minister but they refuse to do so," he tweeted.
He said Lord Hanuman depicts piousness, service and sacrifice. Comparing him "as synonymous to any individual or organisation is an insult, the Congress leader said and asked the prime minister to apologise.
"Kannadigas are ready for 40% Bhrastasura Dahana!," he tweeted.
However, Karnataka Energy Minister V Sunil Kumar, who was the state convenor of Bajrang Dal, said the Congress' move is aimed at appeasing the Muslims.
In a series of tweets, the minister said Bajrang Dal is not an anti-social organisation and it strives for the protection of the Hindu community and "gomata" (mother cow). He wondered whether the Congress wants to ban Bajrang Dal just because the BJP banned the Popular Front of India last year.
The political row over the issue has spread to other states too.
In BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and state home minister Narottam Mishra said Congress' state chief Kamal Nath should clarify his stand on the issue as he is a devotee of Lord Hanuman.
"What is its (being a Hanuman devotee) relation with this (banning Bajrang Dal)?" Nath retorted when reporters asked him about the BJP leaders' remarks.
Asked if a similar poll promise will be made by the Congress in Madhya Pradesh, he said, "That will be decided by the manifesto committee. Even the Supreme Court and the entire state are saying that those who spread hatred and create controversies should face action. This is a matter of our social unity."
In a letter to Nath on Wednesday, Mishra said, "The Congress may go to any extent for the politics of appeasement."
"I have written a letter to Kamal Nath. I have seen his many tweets in which he posed himself as a Hanuman devotee. Congress equated Bajrang Dal with PFI. Nath should clarify his stance," he said.
He said that this politics of appeasement of Congress has hurt the sentiments of "Rashtra bhakts" and devotees of Ram and Hanuman.
Chouhan called Bajrang Dal a "staunch nationalist organisation".
Asking Nath to clarify his stand, he said, "No one will forget those who were pampering the network of SIMI in Madhya Pradesh. Those who opposed the surgical strike and glorified terrorists are now talking about banning Bajrang Dal."
"They are talking of banning Bajrang Dal, which is a staunch nationalist organization, opposes terrorism and love jihad'. The organisation that creates a sense of patriotism, is involved in social service, works for self-respect and awareness towards one's religion and culture is being compared with a terrorist organisation like PFI?"
Congress Rajya Sabha MP Digvijaya Singh too posted several tweets targeting Bajrang Dal.
"Modi ji's Religion is Hindutatva' and not Hindu or Sanatan Dharm. As Savarkar ji has said Hindutva has nothing to do with Hindu Religion' Bajrang Dal has nothing to do with Lord Hanuman. It is an organisation of goons (sic)," Singh alleged.
Rajasthan minister Govind Ram Meghwal said the Congress is not against 'Bajrangbali' (Lord Hanuman), but is against the people who are committing a crime by forming an organisation in the deity's name.
Rajasthan Food and Civil Supplies Minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas said that he is an ardent devotee of lord Hanuan.
"The Congress itself is a devotee of Bajrangbali. It bans those who try to create a situation of conflict in the name of religion," Khachariyawas said.
Chouhan said that Congress was opposed to the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya and had called Ram-Setu imaginary. The Congress opposed Hindutva on every occasion and now it stands exposed, he said.
Union Minister Anurag Thakur also targeted the Congress.
"For vote bank, they used to say that Lord Ram is imaginary... On the other hand, under the Narendra Modi government, Kartarpur Corridor was opened, ropeway reached Hemkunt Sahib...and now a grand Lord Ram temple is being built in Ayodhya. No power in the world has been able to stop Bajrangbali or his followers," he said.
ALSO READ: Cong slams BJP's 'double engine' pitch, says May 10 poll to propel 'derailed' Karnataka engine
The Congress, in its election manifesto for the May 10 Karnataka polls, on Tuesday said it will take decisive action as per law including imposing a ban on organisations like Bajrang Dal and PFI and alleged that they were promoting enmity among communities.
Bajrang Dal is a right-wing Hindu outfit and has often courted controversies over vigilante action. Bajrang is another name for Lord Hanuman and the outfit's insignia carries the picture of the Hindu deity.
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3rd T20I: A three-match 'audition' starts for Gill to find his game back
Dharamsala (PTI): The countdown to save his place in the playing XI begins for a beleaguered Shubman Gill, who is likely to get three matches against South Africa to prove his worth before the Indian team management switches to a ‘Plan B’ ahead of the T20 World Cup, starting in six weeks.
As India gear up to play the third T20I against the Proteas on Sunday in sub-10-degree temperatures in the lap of the ice-clad Dhauladhar range, things are suddenly heating up in the Indian dressing room, with the prolonged poor form of skipper Suryakumar Yadav coming under the scanner.
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Worse, his deputy Shubman Gill, who was pushed into the XI at the expense of a settled Sanju Samson, is not inspiring much confidence.
The South African pace attack featuring Anrich Nortje, Marco Jansen, Lungi Ngidi, Ottniel Baartman and Lutho Sipamla — has shown how to bowl on Indian tracks, and the HPCA Stadium strip, offering extra bounce and some movement off the surface, will certainly keep them interested.
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Among all T20 sides, South Africa, in terms of personnel, appears to have the requisite balance to win the trophy in the Indian subcontinent this time. Quinton de Kock’s return, along with the likes of Aiden Markram, Dewald Brevis, Donovan Ferreira, David Miller and all-rounder Jansen, gives their batting an intimidating look.
With only eight games, starting from the third T20I, left before the start of the T20 World Cup title defence, India's under-fire head coach Gautam Gambhir won't be able to afford, two out-of-form top-order batters in the starting line-up.
Being the skipper of the side, Surya will certainly have immunity going into the T20 World Cup despite being completely out of form for the past one year but same can't be said about Gill, who wasn't the original choice as an opener.
Gill's entry into the T20 set-up was a classic case of trying to fix something that ain't broken and things haven't looked good so far.
In this backdrop, Gill would need to bat out of his skin to prove that Ajit Agarkar-led committee wasn't wrong in throwing Samson under the bus for one bad series against England.
The stylish Indian Test and ODI skipper will have to find his T20 game and at least score in two of the three matches if he doesn't want Samson to get his rightful place back or for that matter, find Yashasvi Jaiswal, with a fabulous T20I strike-rate of 165, enter the fray during New Zealand series.
Lack of clarity
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While head coach Gambhir is too proud a person to admit but sending Axar Patel as a one drop batter during the second T20I was a "tactical brain fade" from the team's think-tank.
The kind misstep that was taken with Axar's promotion is unlikely to be repeated in the third game where skipper is expected to go back to No.3 where he has got a lot of success in his first few years at the international level.
Similarly, Shivam Dube being sent at number eight due to the shuffling of batting order was another poor call which would need course correction in the next game.
Is there a place for Kuldeep Yadav?
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Kuldeep Yadav is one bowler who has consistently troubled the Proteas batter but in an Indian team where batting till No. 8 is non-negotiable, the left-arm wrist spinner often finds himself getting the rough end of the stick.
At Dharamsala too, he might have to sit out as Kuldeep and Varun Chakravarthy, two non-batters can't be clubbed in the same T20 playing eleven as that would lead to compromise in batting depth.
While Arshdeep hasn't had a good series so far, it will be interesting to find if team management can find a place for Kuldeep in the playing eleven with Hardik Pandya sharing the new ball with Jasprit Bumrah.
The five-match series is currently tied 1-1.
Teams:
India: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, NT Tilak Verma, Axar Patel, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Varun Chakravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Sanju Samson (wk), Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar.
South Africa: Aiden Markram (captain), Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Donovan Ferreira, Marco Jansen, Lutho Sipamla, Ottniel Baartman, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi, Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj, George Linde.
Match Starts at 7 pm.
