Bengaluru: With Lord Hanuman taking center-stage in poll-bound Karnataka, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday came down heavily on the ruling BJP and the main opposition party Congress for seeking votes on the basis of majority religion. The AIMIM Hyderabad MP took to Twitter and tweeted, “Congress and BJP are openly demanding votes on the basis of the majority religion in Karnataka.”


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Training his guns at the Congress party, Owaisi also asked will the grand old party promise to reconstruct the dargah in Hubli which was demolished? He also accused Congress of surrendering before the ruling BJP in order to win the crucial polls.


“Will Congress promise reconstruction of demolished dargah in Hubli? It has surrendered on its ideological battle with BJP. Will Modi be ok if I asked people to raise TAKBIR? The skies would fall.”


 



 


It may be noted that the Congress went on the defensive on Thursday and promised to construct and renovate Hanuman temples across the state, after outraged pro-Hindu outfits vented their anger over the party's promise to ban outfits like Bajrang Dal in its manifesto two days ago.


While Prime Minister Narendra Modi likened the promised ban on Bajrang Dal to locking up Hanuman and his devotees, former deputy chief minister K S Eshwarappa burnt the Congress manifesto, and Bajrang Dal activists tore the Congress document, hit it with slippers and held rallies in several parts of the state demonstrating their protest.


Hindutva outfits have also decided to chant Hanuman Chalisa, the 40 couplets authored by 16th Century saint-poet Goswami Tulsidas in Awadhi, a dialect of Hindi.


With emotions running high, Congress felt the heat. All the issues around which the grand old party wanted to fight the May 10 assembly elections have been put on the back burner as party state president D K Shivakumar in damage control mode took up a temple run.


At Chamundi Hill in Mysuru after paying obeisance to Goddess Chamundeshwari, the Goddess of Mysuru, as well as Anjaneya, Shivakumar promised to either build more Hanuman temples or renovate the existing ones all over the state.


“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,” Shivakumar, who is contesting the election from Kanakapura constituency in Ramanagara, told reporters.


The Congress leader added that the Congress was committed to strengthening Anjaneya temples and the ideals of Lord Hanuman. “We will formulate policies and programmes named after Anjaneya in all the Taluks of the state that will instill strength among youths to tread on the ideals of Hanuman,” he added.


Swearing on Goddess Chamundeshwari, he said Congress would establish the Anjanadri Development Board. Coming down heavily on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP for politicising God, he sought to know how many Anjaneya temples did the BJP construct. "My BJP friends including Prime Minister Narendra Modi are trying to use the name of God for political gain. They are playing with the emotions,” Shivakumar alleged.


Lord Hanuman became the talking point in the state after Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his public meeting in Hospet, the district headquarters town of the newly-carved district Vijayanagara, called the Congress's promise of banning Bajrang Dal an attempt to "lock up" Hanuman and his devotees who chant ‘Jai Bajrangbali'.


PM Modi also made it a point to chant ‘Jai Bajrangbali' (Victory to Mighty Hanuman) in all three public meetings on Wednesday. 


Congress Manifesto Promises Ban On Bajrang Dal, PFI


 


The Congress in its manifesto for the May 10 Assembly elections in Karnataka said it was committed to taking firm and decisive action against individuals and organisations spreading hatred amongst communities on grounds of caste and religion.


"We believe that law and Constitution are sacrosanct and cannot be violated by individuals and organisations like Bajrang Dal, PFI or others promoting enmity or hatred, whether among majority or minority communities. We will take decisive action as per law including imposing a ban on such organisations," the Congress said in its manifesto.


Hitting out at the Congress, BJP’s Eshwarappa dubbed it a "manifesto of Muslim League (of Pakistan founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah).