Punjab Court Summons Congress Chief Mallikarjun Kharge in Rs 100 Crore Defamation Case

A court in Sangrur in Punjab has summoned Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge in a Rs 100-crore defamation case.

Hitesh Bhardwaj, the founder of Hindu Suraksha Parishad, has filed the case against Kharge for equating Bajrang Dal with "anti-national organisations" during the recently-concluded Karnataka polls.

"I moved to court on Thursday after I found that on page number 10 of the manifesto, Congress has compared Bajrang Dal with the anti-national organisations and also promised to ban it if they win the election," Hindustan Times quoted Bhardwaj as saying.

The Congress Chief should appear before the judge on July 10.

The grand old party, in its manifesto for Karnataka Assembly polls, said that it will ban organisations, including Bajrang Dal that spread enmity between the communities.

"The Congress Party is committed to take firm and decisive action against individuals and organisations spreading hatred amongst communities on grounds of caste or religion. We believe that law and Constitution is sacrosanct and can not be violated by individuals and Organisations like Bajrang Dal, PFI or others promoting enmity or hatred, whether among majority or minority communities. We will take decisive action as per law including imposing a ban on any such organisations," the manifesto read.

After Congress registered a thumping victory in the recently-concluded polls, political pundits have said that the Muslim votes consolidated behind the Congress which helped it to bag 135 seats in the state.

Moreover, nine Muslims have won the election from the grand old party. The announcement of the ban on Bajrang Dal did the trick for Congress, political observers say.