New Delhi: The Congress on Tuesday, May 2, accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of hurting the religious sentiments of Hindu devotees by equating Lord Hanuman with the Bajrang Dal, demanding an apology from him.
Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said in a press briefing that it is “shameful” for the prime minister to draw such a parallel. He termed this “an insult” to crores of devotees of Lord Hanuman.
“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 Bajrang Bali,” PTI reports him as telling reporters.
मोदी जी, बजरंग दल के बारे में आपके ही नेता ज्योतिरादित्य सिंधिया ने कहा था कि- ये ISI सर्टिफाइड दल है।
… और आप बजरंग दल की तुलना बजरंग बली से कर रहे हैं!
हम अपने आराध्य बजरंग बली का अपमान नहीं सहेंगे।
: @Pawankhera जी pic.twitter.com/u6NbGWLV4v
— Congress (@INCIndia) May 2, 2023
Prime Minister Modi took a swipe at the Congress for promising to ban the Bajrang Dal in its election manifesto for Karnataka. He said that the party “had earlier locked up Lord Ram and now it wanted to lock up those who chant Jai Bajrang Bali”.
The Congress in its election manifesto for the state polls, which are due on May 10, said that it is committed to taking firm and decisive action against individuals and organisations such as the Bajrang Dal and the Popular Front of India (PFI), which the party said is “spreading hatred” among communities on grounds of caste and religion.