Bajrang Sena joins Congress in MP ahead of state assembly polls, Kamal Nath says, ‘supporting truth’
With the Madhya Pradesh polls, barely months away, the Congress seems to be treading a soft Hindutva line. After triumphing in Karnataka amid the ‘Bajrangbali’ row, the Congress unit in Madhya Pradesh has now secured the support of Bajrang Sena, a right-wing Hindutva organisation. The development comes just months before the Madhya Pradesh elections, slated to be held in November.
Several Bajrang Sena workers on Tuesday joined the Congress in presence of former Madhya Pradesh CM and the party’s state president Kamal Nath. The highlight of the event to welcome the Bajrang Sena into the Grand Old Party’s fold was the chants of ‘Jai Shree Ram’ as Hanuman Chalisa recital.
National convenor of Bajrang Sena Raghunandan Sharma and state president Amrish Rai oversaw Bajrang Sena’s alliance with the Congress. Kamal Nath said that the Bajrang Sena had joined Congress has Madhya Pradesh was being dragged into a quagmire due to widespread corruption in the state under CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s BJP government.
“They (Bajrang Sena workers) have supported Congress. They have supported the truth. They, too, can feel where is Madhya Pradesh being dragged to – be it corruption, unemployment or any other area. I congratulate and welcome them that are supporting the truth,” he said.
A rally was conducted from Jharneshwar Temple on Link Road in Bhopal to the Pradesh Congress Committee’s headquarters, in response to a call made by Bajrang Sena’s National President, Ranveer Pateria.
Deepak Joshi, a Bajrang Sena office bearer, was quoted as saying by Dainik Bhaskar: “If someone is truly dedicated to upholding Sanatan Dharma, it is Kamal Nath. In his first year as Chief Minister, Kamal Nath oversaw the construction of one lakh cow shelters to ensure the peaceful existence of cows. When I spoke to Bajrang Sena, they expressed their desire to honour Kamal Nath’s efforts. In our country, politicians often contribute to the construction of temples using MLA and MP funds, but Kamal Nath used his personal funds to build the largest Bajrangbali statue in Madhya Pradesh.”
Ranveer Pateria, the national president of Bajrang Sena, pointed out that despite the BJP’s tall promises over the past 18 years, they failed to construct cowsheds. “However, as soon as Kamal Nath became Chief Minister, he initiated the establishment of cow shelters in every village. We have been advocating for employment for the past 12 years, as our brothers and sisters continue to struggle with unemployment. We also urge action against corruption in Gaushalas,” Dainik Bhaskar quoted him as saying.
However, according to the report Bajrang Sena will support the Congress based on the issues during elections. Not all office bearers will be joining the Congress.
