05-05-2023 : Invoking Lord Hanuman during his campaign rallies in Karnataka has prompted the Congress party to submit a complaint with the Chief Electoral Officer against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Congress claims that Modi is trying to paint the party as anti-Hindu by criticising their pledge to outlaw the right-wing organisation Bajrang Dal and associating it with “locking up” Lord Hanuman, whom he hailed with the song “Jai Bajrangbali” in all three of his addresses in the state.
The Congress is asking the Election Commission to restrain Modi from using the names of Hindu Gods and Goddesses in election rallies or speeches solely for the purpose of soliciting votes based on religion. The party also questions whether the BJP’s ban on Sri Ram Sene in Goa and the betrayal of the Shiv Sena can be considered insults to Lord Rama or Lord Shiva.
Congress leader Pawan Khera accuses the BJP of hypocrisy, pointing out that the party says the birthplace of any lord is a matter of faith, yet they use these gods and goddesses to win votes. He also questions why the BJP disregards the existence of these deities outside of election season.
Bajrang Dal activists in Karnataka protested the promise to ban their group by reciting the Hanuman Chalisa, a set of 40 couplets authored by Tulsidas in the Awadhi dialect of Hindi, in various temples throughout the state. Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shobha Karandlaje also attended the Hanuman Chalisa recital at a temple in Bengaluru.
The Congress party’s complaint and allegations against Modi reflect the ongoing political polarization in India, where religion and caste play a significant role in electoral politics. The use of religious symbolism and rhetoric by political leaders can be a sensitive issue, especially when it is perceived as an attempt to manipulate or divide voters along religious lines.