A Punjab court on Monday summoned Congress party president Mallikarjun Kharge in a Rs 100 crore defamation case related to the party equating the banned Islamic outfit Popular Front of India (PFI) with Bajrang Dal in its Karnataka Assembly election manifesto.
Taking offence with the Congress's campaigns raising the ban of Bajrang Dal, the youth wing of the Sang-affiliated Vishwa Hindu Parishad, a defamation case was filed against Kharge.
The Sangrur district court summoned the Congress president after the complaint from Hitesh Bhardwaj, the president of 'Bajrang Dal Hindustan'.
A major row had erupted during the Karnataka polls campaigns after Congress in its election manifesto said that the party is committed to “taking firm and decisive action against individuals and organisations spreading hatred amongst communities on grounds of caste or religion” and cited the examples of the Popular Front of India and Bajrang Dal.
According to the petitioner Congress in its manifesto 'Sarva Janangada Shanthiya Thota' (peaceful garden of all communities) compared Bajrang Dal with anti-national organisations like SIMI and AI Qaeda.
VHP had said that Bajrang Dal is not afraid of Congress's ban threat. "If they ban Bajrang Dal out of hatred for Hindus, necessary steps will be taken," VHP general secretary Milind Parande had said.
