Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], May 4 : The Congress mfesto promising to ban the proscribed Popular Front of India and Bajrang Dal in Karnataka has triggered a war of words with the ruling BJP accusing the grand old party of inflaming communal sentiments ahead of the May 10 Karnataka assembly elections.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, CM Basavaraj Bommai claimed that the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) and PFI grew strongly during the congress period.
"We fight elections based on our programs, they (Congress) fight elections on their promises. It is not right to stir up caste, religion and communal sentiments unnecessarily in elections, this shows the appeasement politics of Congress," CM said.
"The Congress party today is in the grip of SDPI and PFI, and it cannot get out of it," CM alleged.
CM further said that If we (BJP) talk against SDPI and PFI, the Congress leaders will start to worry.
"PFI is another form of SDPI. Congress had openly sought the support of SDPI. SDPI and PFI grew strongly during the Congress period," CM Bommai said.
Reacting to the Karnataka Congress President DK Shivakumar's statement what is the relation between Bajrang dal and Anjneya (Lord Hanuman), Bommai said, "Congress is acting in such a way as to hurt the sentiments of others. Questioning with the intention to hurt other people is not fair".
DK Shivakumar asked one question yesterday what is the relation between Bajrang dal and AnjneyaJi, CM said.
"What is the relationship between Lord Rama and Hanuman, the relationship between Anjaneya and Bajrang Dal is the same. Congress should understand this. It is not right to talk in such a way as to hurt people's sentiments," CM Bommai said.
On the question of is SDPI the "B team" of the BJP? CM said, "We have banned PFI, why didn't they (Congress) ban SDPI?"
"They make (Congress) accusations like this to cover up their wrongdoing," Bommai said.
The Karnataka assembly elections will be held in a single phase on May 10, with the counting of votes scheduled on May 13.
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