‘Congress will burn until…’: BJP defies Karnataka govt’s attempt to ‘attempt’ to ban RSS, Bajrang Dal

Priyank Kharge, the newly sworn-in minister in the Karnataka government, has fanned a new controversy by reiterating the Congress’ pre-election ban proposal on Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Bajrang Dal. The Karnataka unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) reacted strongly to the proposed ban, threatening to “burn” the Congress to “ashes” if the party tries to act on it.

BJP senior leader and former Karnataka minister R. Ashoka challenged Siddaramaiah’s rule in the state, saying, “if the party bans even one branch of RSS, it wouldn’t be anywhere in the state.”

Speaking to reporters here, Ashoka said: “Your father couldn’t ban RSS. Your grandmother did not. Not even your great-grandfather could do anything. What can you do now?”

Ashoka said that Congress once had a majority in Parliament.

“There were 15-20 state governments in the country. The current condition of Congress is pathetic in the country. If you have guts, ban RSS. His rule will not last long… not even three months,” he said.

The BJP leader claimed that thousands of RSS branches are operating and challenged the Congress government to “show off” by imposing a “ban on one of the branches”.

“Hindu sentiments are with RSS and Bajrang Dal,” he added.

The former Karnataka minister further said that in the new Congress government in the state, “CM Siddaramaiah is silent but MP CM Shivakumar is violent.”

“In every meeting, Shivakumar speaks before the CM and threatens the police department and Hindu organizations,” he said.

Meanwhile, the chairman of the Karnataka BJP unit, Nalin Kumar Kateel, said that if any attempt is made to ban the RSS or Bajrang Dal, “the Congress government will not survive.”

“Priyank Kharge talked about banning RSS. PM Modi is an RSS swayamsevak. We are all RSS swayamsevaks. Even Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and the Narasimharao government tried to ban RSS but were unsuccessful,” Kateel said.

“Try to ban Bajrang dal and RSS, Congress will burn to ashes… Priyank Kharge should watch his tongue,” added the Karnataka BJP president.

Priyank Kharge reiterated on Thursday that his party is ready to impose a ban on Bajrang Dal. He had also previously stated that “we will not hesitate to ban organizations that engage in moral surveillance. It could be RSS or Bajrang Dal or any other communal organization.”

Kharge had also said: “We will change the laws put forward by the BJP government. If any individual or organization threatens the peace and acts contrary to the Constitution, the government has the ability to take appropriate action against them.”