Karnataka Election 2023: 'State govt cannot ban Bajrang Dal,' says Jagadish Shettar on Congress manifesto

Karnataka Election 2023: Senior Congress leader and former Karnataka chief minister Veerappa Moily said there was no suggestion before the party to ban the Bajrang Dal. Addressing reporters in Udupi, Moily also said that state governments did not have the right to ban such organisations.

Team Newsable

First Published May 5, 2023, 1:31 PM IST

Former Karnataka Chief Minister and Congress leader Jagadish Shettar said that it is in the power of central government to ban an organisation and state government cannot impose a ban on an organisation.

"Many points are there in the election manifesto, why should we restrict to this issue? Banning any organization is the power of the central government, not the state government. Veerappa Moily clarified that there is no question of banning Bajrang Dal," Shettar said.

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Meanwhile, the Congress appeared to go on the defensive to mitigate any potential damage from its manifesto promise to ban Bajrang Dal in Karnataka. The state party president DK Shivakumar was on a temple run at Chamundi Hill in Mysuru, and promised to build more Hanuman temples or renovate the existing ones all over the state.

Speaking to reporters, Shivakumar, who is contesting the election from Kanakapura constituency in Ramanagara said, "The temples of Lord Rama’s escort Anjaneya (Hanuman) are everywhere. We have constructed Anjaneya temples, and we too are his devotees, especially we Kannadigas in this state, where there is evidence to show that Anjaneya was born here."

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Senior Congress leader and former Karnataka chief minister Veerappa Moily said there was no suggestion before the party to ban the Bajrang Dal. Addressing reporters in Udupi, Moily also said that state governments did not have the right to ban such organisations.

Last Updated May 5, 2023, 1:31 PM IST