Promise to ban Bajrang Dal Congress' way of protesting PFI ban: Assam CM Sarma in Karnataka

Mangaluru (Karnataka): Assam Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, Sunday said that the rightwing organisation Bajrang Dal should not be compared with Popular Front of India (PFI), which engages in "anti-national activities and kills innocent people".

Sarma, during a press conference in Mangaluru, argued that by equating the PFI, which is already banned for alleged involvement in extremist acts against the nation, with Bajrang Dal, which is "not an extremist organisation," the Congress was assuring a tit-for-tat. He also criticized the Congress's plan to ban organizations like PFI and Bajrang Dal, stating that this was nothing but an olive branch to PFI, which is condemnable.

Asked about Bajrang Dal activists' involvement in moral policing cases registered in Karnataka, Sarma responded by questioning how cases of moral policing could be equated with acts against the nation. Sarma also criticized the Congress's proposal to provide Rs 10,000 crore funds for Muslims and reservation for Muslims, calling it complete appeasement.

Regarding the Congress's "guarantees," Sarma stated that guarantee was a new addition to the political lexicon of the Congress. He further stated that political parties can only make humble assurances, and Rahul Gandhi's guarantees could not be trusted, given his recent defeat in Amethi and the Congress's failure to implement the promise of eradicating poverty made by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

Sarma also criticized the Congress's corruption charges against the Basavaraj Bommai government, pointing out that the Congress had previously shielded Ottavio Quattrocchi, who was accused in the Bofors scandal and the accused in the Bhopal Gas Tragedy. He also highlighted the corruption charges faced by State Congress President D.K. Shivakumar, stating that his assets had grown to Rs 1,500 crore while the assets of Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had not changed significantly.

Sarma confidently predicted that the BJP would win more than 150 seats and stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would spend more time in Karnataka until May 8 to ensure the formation of a BJP government in Karnataka. Responding to the Congress's allegation that Modi was ignoring Manipur, which is presently in unrest, Sarma stated that Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah were doing their best to bring peace to Manipur.