Mulayam calls for ban on Bajrang Dal

Lucknow, Sep 23 (UNI) Despite being non-committal on his party's stand against a ban on the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav today said the Bajrang Dal should be banned immediately.

Holding the Bajrang Dal responsible for recent attacks on places of worship in Orissa, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh, he said there should be a ban on the outfit.

'' When it comes to ban, the name of SIMI comes to the fore. Why should the Bajrang Dal not be banned, ''Mr Yadav said here at a press conference.

To a specific query if the stand of Samajwadi Party with regard to opposition of ban on SIMI still remained the same, Mr Yadav said, ''If the charges against SIMI prove right, it should be banned but Bajrang Dal should be banned immediately.'' The former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister was furious on the statement of Chief Minister Mayawati that terrorism flourished during SP rule in the state. ''Sab Bakwas Hai( all Is rubbish),''he said while dismissing the allegation of Ms Mayawati as 'baseless' and 'outrageous'.

''What does she know about terrorism and the means to contain it,'' he said.

In reply to a question about Azamgarh district having emerged as a 'nursery' of terrorism, Mr Yadav said this was absolutely wrong.

A detailed probe would prove this suggestion wrong, he said, adding only a handful of people were involved in terror but to generalise the whole issue with regard to the eastern UP district was wrong.

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