Deccan Herald, 31 October 2008
'Hanuman' to replace 'Bajrang' in case of a ban?
From Sanjay Pandey, DH News Service, Lucknow:
Even as the storm kicked up by Sadhvi Pragya Thakur’s, arrested in connection with Malegaon and Modasa blasts, alleged links with saffron outfits continues to rage, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has been quietly working on a plan to form a new organisation in case the Bajrang Dal was banned by the Centre.
The saffron organisation has prepared a detailed plan to immediately form a new outfit if a ban was imposed on Bajrang Dal. “If banned by the Centre Bajrang Dal will be replaced by a new outfit Hanuman Dal immediately,” a senior VHP leader told Deccan Herald on condition of anonymity on Wednesday.
Everything will be the same except the name would be the key to the new organisation and all workers, office bearers and work would continue as before under the garb of the Hanuman Dal, the leader said.
“A detailed plan has already been chalked out and senior VHP leaders have been apprised about the new outfit,” he said adding that “under no circumstances the work of Bajrang Dal will be allowed to face any difficulty”.
The VHP official also made it clear that the ban, in case it is imposed, will be challenged in the court. “Earlier also the ban on RSS and VHP had been successfully challenged in the courts,” he pointed out.
Bajrang Dal was formed on October 1984 in Ayodhya. The present general secretary of BJP Vinay Katiyar was at one time the national convenor of the organisation.
It may be recalled that there have been demand from various quarters to impose a ban on the Bajrang Dal following attacks on Christians and churches in Orissa and Karnataka.
On being asked about the new outfit, VHP’s Kashi organisation secretary Diwakar said that his organisation would strongly resist any ban on Bajarang Dal.
“We will launch a peaceful agitation if a ban is imposed and expose the UPA government,” he said.
Refusing to confirm or deny if a new outfit would replace Bajrang Dal, Diwakar said that the “aims and objectives of Bajrang Dal will be completed under all circumstances”.
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