‘Give a fitting reply to the appeasement agenda’

Milind Parande (left) and Mumbai`s Shriraj Nair at the response to ban the Bajrang Dal programme, on Tuesday. Pic/Anurag Ahire

The lane leading up to Hanuman Mandir at Jijanagar Worli, opposite the Four Seasons Hotel, was bedecked in saffron late Tuesday evening.

Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) General Secretary Milind Parande, along with Jt Secretary and spokesperson, Shriraj Nair entered the temple premises, with followers and locals in the area, to chants of, ‘Dekho, dekho kaun aaya, Bajrang Dal ka sher aaya' and ‘Bajrang Dal ke cheete (cheetah) hain, apne bal pe jeete hain'.

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The VHP and its followers were protesting the recent election manifesto released by the Congress party in Karnataka, which has a statement about banning the Bajrang Dal in Karnataka if elected. This has been followed by clarifications and controversies but for the VHP, it is still about Congress and ban Bajrang Dal.

The VHP said to its attendees flanked by a substantial police presence in the crowded locality, "Mumbai is a part of the nationwide response, the Hanuman Shakti Jagran programme, to calling of a Bajrang Dal ban by chanting the Hanuman Chalisa. India is resonating with these chants and the voice of Mumbai is part of it." After the Chalisa chanting, Parande stated, "There seems to be a pattern to insult the Hindu community whenever elections come near. Those who do so, think talking like this will get them Muslim votes. Those who have asked for a ban, have compared the Bajrang Dal to the anti-national Popular Front of India (PFI), this is a huge and pointed insult."

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The VHP top brass exhorted people to demonstrate, "but always peacefully and within the ambit of the law. We all need to come out and vote, to defeat the appeasers and those who displease the Hindu community. The answer will come not just through this, but the ballot box, too. Ab Dilli door nahin," they said to some applause, adding, "I pray that some Hindus too who support the ban will see better sense prevail."

Parande cited the work Bajrang Dal was doing like, "blood donation, cow protection, tree plantation and tackling religious conversions, bringing out inconvenient truths like Love Jihad."

On the subject of bans, it was inevitable that Parande was asked about the West Bengal ban on the movie, ‘The Kerala Story' in the media interaction, post the programme. The chief stated, "The ban is simply because of the fear of showing the prickly, hard-hitting truth and wariness about an awakening in society."

When a scribe asked him why the movie was not being made tax free in Maharashtra, Parande replied, "it is being shown, talk about that. The comparison is between banning and showing the film. Here, it is being screened and that is important," he emphasised, stating, to a question that what if the Congress wins and goes on to ban the Bajrang Dal, "then, I am sure that ban will be revoked."