Only Centre can ban groups, Shettar tells KSE

NT Correspondent

Hubballi /Bengaluru: Recent Cong ress inductee and the party’s candidate for the Hubballi-Dharwad Central constituency Jagadish Shettar on Friday made it clear that only the Union government can ban organisations. He was responding to former BJP colleague KS Eshwarappa’s question on whether he supported the ban on Bajrang Dal proposed by the Congress manifesto and if not he should condemn it.

Speaking exclusively to ANI, Shettar said: “Many points are there in the election manifesto, why should we restrict ourselves to this issue? Banning any organisation is the prerogative of the Central government, not the State government. Veerappa Moily clarified that there is no question of banning Bajrang Dal.”

Moily had indeed made the statement on Wednesday, which was followed by the KPCC manifesto committee chairman G Parameshwara also clarifying that the document had mentioned Popular Front of India (PFI) and Bajrang Dal as examples of groups that spread hatred along religious lines but didn’t say they’d ban the latter.

The PFI is already banned. Congress has been backtracking on the proposed Bajrang Dal ban ever since BJP leaders, including PM Modi tried to take advantage of the situation.