Karnataka polls: Will ban Bajrang Dal or anyone spreading hatred, says Congress

The Congress is committed to take firm and decisive action against individuals and organisations such as Bajrang Dal and the Popular Front of India PFI ldquospreading hatredrdquo among communities on grounds of caste and religion the party said in its election manifesto for the May 10 Karnataka Assembly polls released on TuesdayThe action will include a lsquobanrsquo against such organisations the party said It also promised to ldquorepeal all unjust laws and antipeople laws passed by the BJP governmentrdquo within one year of coming to powerOther poll promisesIn the manifestomdashrsquoSarva Janangada Shanthiya Thotarsquo Peaceful garden of all communitiesmdashreleased by Congress President M Mallikarjun Kharge in the presence of the state unit chief D K Shivakumar and CLP leader Siddaramaiah among others the party reiterated its five guaranteesmdashlsquoGruha Jyothirsquo lsquoGruha Lakshmirsquo lsquoAnna Bhagyarsquo lsquoYuva Nidhirsquo and lsquoShaktirsquoKharge said ldquoI am giving the sixth guarantee that these guarantees will surely be implemented in the first cabinet meeting on the first day of the government formationrdquoWhile the lsquoShaktirsquo scheme proposes free travel for women throughout the state in regular governmentrun KSRTC BMTC buses under the lsquoGruha Lakshmirsquo scheme each woman head of the family will receive R2000 monthly assistanceGruha Jyothi promises 200 unit free electricity a month to all households Under lsquoAnna Bhagyarsquo every person in BPL below poverty line family will receive 10 kg food grains which can be rice or millets including Ragi and Jowar every monthUnder the ldquoYuva Nidhirdquo Rs 3000month will be provided to all unemployed graduates and Rs 1500 a month for all unemployed diploma graduates both in the age group of 18 to 25 for two yearsThe party also promised to enact a lsquoKarnataka Whistleblowers Protection Actrsquo if voted to power The Congress said it will demand Karnatakarsquos rightful share from the Centre in total taxes collected and fight against the efforts to ldquodilute the Constitutional rights in the federal systemrdquoThe party said it will reject National Education Policy and form a State Education PolicyShivakumar said ldquoIf we come to power it will be like people coming to power This is how we will govern the state Give us your support and we will live up to our promisesrdquoVHP hits backThe Vishva Hindu Parishad accused the Congress of defaming a ldquonationalistrdquo organisation In a video message VHP joint general secretary Surendra Jain said ldquoYou cannot deceive the people of the country senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi The way you have attempted to defame the Bajrang Dal people of the country will not accept it Every activist of the Bajrang Dal will take it as a challengerdquoldquoWe do not dabble in politics But you want to drag us into politics Then we would like to respond to you in that arena also and we will not let your wrong intentions be fulfilledrdquo he addedThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever