Mallikarjun Kharge was the leader of the Congress in the last Lok Sabha/File Photo
New Delhi: A Punjab court on Monday summoned Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge over his statement comparing Bajrang Dal with the Centre-banned organisation Popular Front of India (PFI), Free Press Journal reported.
A petition was filed by the founder of the right-wing Hindutva outfit Vishwa Hindu Parishad Bajrang Dal Hind, Hitesh Bhardwaj. His defamation case demanded Rs 100 crore for alleged damages after Kharge made the comparison during the Karnataka elections. Bharadwaj claimed that Kharge compared Bajrang Dal with 'anti-national organisations' and even offered to ban the right-wing organisation, which is often attributed to vigilantism, violence and moral policing, during Kannada polls.
Kharge was asked to appear before the court of Civil Judge (Senior Division) Ramandeep Kaur on July 10.
He cited the Congress party's poll manifesto's page 10, where the promise to ban is listed.
Congress Rajya Sabha MP Imran Pratapgarhi said on Saturday that the party would definitely ban Bajrang Dal if it comes to power in Karnataka. The chief of Congress's minority department, Pratapgarhi, told NDTV that Congress had the blessings of "Bajrang Bali" (Lord Hanuman) as well as the Sufi Saints. The party is against those who do hate politics and violence, and therefore, it will ban Bajrang Dal, as same as the Centre banned the Popular Front of India. "..take strong action against organisations like Bajrang Dal that promote enmity and hatred among different communities," Congress election manifesto in the state read. It also promised to protect minorities from "communal violence" and "false cases."