Bajrang Dal ban row: BJP’s Yogi Adityanath enters the fray as Congress issues clarification
BJP's firebrand leader Yogi Adityanath
Karnataka elections 2023: Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath, on Saturday accused the Congress Party of mocking the Hindu faith after it allegedly proposed a ban on Bajrang Dal, a Hindu nationalist organisation. He delivered the speech during a public rally in Chikkamagaluru. “Banning Bajrang Dal means Congress is trying to make a mockery of the Hindu faith. Hindu community will not tolerate and accept it,” the firebrand leader of the ruling Bhartiya Janata Party said.
Yogi Adityanath is one of the 40 star campaigners that the BJP has deployed ahead of the assembly elections in Karnataka slated to be held on Wednesday, April 10. The leader also said in his speech that he has come from the land of Ram (Uttar Pradesh) to the land of Hanuman (Karnataka). “The bonding between the two states underlines the fact that they are integrally one and ”materialise” the concept of ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat’ (One India, Prosperous India),” he said.
Congress retracts on Bajrang Dal ban proposal
Earlier, the Congress party in its manifesto said that it was committed to taking "firm and decisive action" against individuals and organizations spreading "enmity or hatred, whether among majority or minority communities."
It also mentioned Popular Front of India (PFI), a Muslim group banned by some states for alleged links to terrorism and Bajrang Dal among organisations that it may seek to ban. This prompted a fierce reaction from the BJP, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi who accused the Congress of insulting Hanuman.
However, later a senior Congress leader clarified that there was no such proposal under consideration. Veerappa Moily, a former chief minister of Karnataka and a member of parliament, clarified that banning an outfit was not possible for a state government.
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
National Handloom Day 2026: From Alia Bhatt to Samantha Ruth Prabhu; Actresses who celebrated India's textile heritage as brides
)
The Royals enter the Doctor Who universe: King Charles and Queen Camilla beam into Commonwealth Games in TARDIS
)
Unitree Robotics targets $9 billion valuation in landmark IPO backed by DeepSeek and Tencent
)
India names 27 sites in Arunachal Pradesh
)
Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata OTT: When will Kangana Ranaut's film stream online?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How many soldiers operate one S-400 battery?
)
Shakib Al Hasan ready to return to Bangladesh—under one condition
)
‘Fake news’: MEA rejects report claiming India sought defence pact with Israel after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey deal
)
Rockstar to unveil GTA 6 extended look ahead of November launch
)
Russia forms Ukrainian Volunteer Spetsnaz Brigade to fight Ukraine
)
Drug-resistant fungus that hides in hair and enters bloodstream reported in 23 US states
)
Technology transfer deal boosts India's defence manufacturing ambitions
)
Border row erupts in Europe after Ceuta crossings, Spain imposes border controls on Italy
)
Morale plummets on USS Abraham Lincoln: Are US sailors reaching a breaking point? | GRAVITAS
)
'Security can't be bought with Pakistan, Turkey deal': Iran tells Saudi Arabia
)
Baba Vanga's 2026 prophecy: 2 predictions 'already came true', 3 terrifying ones remain. Details inside
)
Colombia’s new president Abelardo de la Espriella vows to ‘defeat narco-terrorists’, signals hardline shift
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
New Friday OTT releases (August 7, 2026): Operation Safed Sagar, Vadhandhi, Main Vaapis Aaunga- 6 movies and TV shows on Netflix, Prime Video and more
)
Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth scripts history as Indian Air Force gets its first woman ‘Top Gun’ pilot
)
RSS says Gen Z protests reflect genuine distress
)
Trump says Iranian school bombing photos could be AI-generated - 'I don’t think...'
)
IAF officer held for sharing sensitive information in 'honey trap' case, booked under Official Secrets Act
)
Stray Kids under scrutiny? Fans react to Grammy submission silence after BTS boycott
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI doesn't need external fuel tanks to fly vast distances
)
Jugal Hansraj reunites with Shekhar Kapur after 40 years for Masoom: The Next Generation
)
New speed limits, automatic challans: Big traffic change coming to Delhi-Meerut Expressway. All you need to know
)
India officially names 27 places in Arunachal to counter China's renaming claims
)
Trump calls White House ballroom ruling a 'national disgrace' as court says Congress approval needed
)
US sanctions Iran’s crypto network after Strait of Hormuz attacks, offers $15m bounty for intel on IRGC finance
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI is one of the heaviest fighters ever built
)
Uttarakhand young innovator builds India's own flying vehicle, conducts first test flight: WATCH
)
Chilling video shows students take cover as teen opens fire at Thai school
)
Reese Witherspoon's father hospitalised after poolside incident in Nashville: Report
He said, “We have mentioned both the PFI and the Bajrang Dal in our manifesto. This includes all (radical) outfits. Banning an outfit is not possible by a state government. The Bajrang Dal cannot be banned by the Karnataka government.”
Bajrang Dal members vandalise Congress office
Amidst the controversy over banning Bajrang Dal in Karnataka, some Bajrang Dal members reportedly stormed into a Congress office in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and vandalised the property. A video of the incident is also making rounds on the internet.
WATCH WION LIVE HERE