Days after the Congress made a comeback and secured a comfortable majority in the Karnataka constituent assembly on the promise of banning outfits like Bajrang Dal, leaders from the party are back on their rhetoric to ban Hindu outfits along with scrapping laws enacted by the Bharatiya Janata party (BJP).
Taking it to the twitter Chittapur MLA and son of the congress president Malika Arjun Kharge, Priyank Kharge on May 24 said that the newly sworn in government of Siddaramaiah stands firm on reviewing any bills passed by the previous BJP government if it affects the socially equal image of Karnataka or violates the rights of an individual hinting that the Congress Government might look into the repealing of Hijab ban in educational institutions by the BJP, later upheld by the Karnataka High Court.
The chairman of communication of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) in another tweet also asserted that if any religious or political outfit including the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) tries to disrupt peace, spread communal hatred and being disrepute to Karnataka, our government will not hesitate to tackle them legally or ban them.
Yes!
If any religious or political outfit tries to disrupt peace, spread communal hatred & bring disrepute to Karnataka, our Government will not hesitate to tackle them legally or ban them.Even if it is RSS or any other organization.https://t.co/5dW4kz69cz
— Priyank Kharge / ಪ್ರಿಯಾಂಕ್ ಖರ್ಗೆ (@PriyankKharge) May 24, 2023
Interestingly the Congress lawmaker’s remarks came just hours after the so-called human right body Amnesty India made a similar appeal to the incumbent Congress Government to fulfill its pre poll promises, the human rights body in a tweet said the incoming Congress Government must prioritise and uphold human rights for all in the State.
The thread further alleged that the Government should immediately revoke the ban on women wearing hijab in educational institutions, it alleged that the ban forces the Muslim girls to choose between their rights to freedom of expression and religion.
Further, Amnesty India has also called upon the Government to review and repeal discriminatory provisions in the Karnataka prevention of slaughter and preservation of cattle act, 2020 alongside reviewing and repealing provisions of Karnataka protection of right to freedom of religion bill (anti-conversion bill) 2022.
The human rights body in its tweet also alleged that ahead of the State elections calls for economic boycott and violence against Muslim people were made with impunity and it’s time that the Congress Government should ensure accountability for such advocacy of hatred and end hate crimes that are motivated by religious and caste based discrimination. It further has advised the Congress Government to fulfill their obligations to respect, protect and fulfill human rights of all.
Meanwhile Vinod Bansal the spokesperson of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) while slamming the remarks made by the Minister said that the ‘controversial remark of the congress leader has exposed the hypocrisy of the grand old party’, in a video message the VHP stalwart further quoted ‘that at one hand the Congress party is pretending to purify the Vidhan Sabha by Gau Mautra while on the other hand their leaders through their remarks are endorsing those who kills the Gau Mata.
“The congress leader has said that he will not only look into the cow slaughter prevention act along with the anti-conversion law, but will also look into laws like Hijab ban, Halala cut and others like these, this is what the conduct of the congress party, not only that they say they will give a open run to them who are involved in acts like cow slaughtering and conversion but ban organisation like VHP, Bajrang Dal and RSS, this is nothing but a cheap publicity stunt, concluded Vinod Bansal.”
Let us recall that earlier in the Karnataka Assembly elections the Congress party in its manifesto had promised to ban the Bajrang Dal if voted to power, the manifesto sparked a massive controversy following which members of VHP along with Bajrang Dal had staged huge protests in front of the congress headquarters in Karnataka and New Delhi alongside organising Hanuman Chalisa path at a number of places.
Sensing that the controversy might lead the voters to swing towards the BJP at the last time, Congress leaders while doing the damage control later on had promised to build a Hanuman temple in every district if voted to power.
