'Proposed ban on Bajrang Dal not against any religion or community': KC Venugopal

Congress is fighting the Karnataka Assembly elections to return to power with a comfortable majority. Its General Secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal spoke to DH’s Shemin Joy on the latest controversy on Bajrang Dal, party’s emphasis on social justice and financial implications of its promises.

Is the Congress confident of winning Karnataka? Isn’t it a tough fight?

Our campaign work is going at a fast pace. After reviewing our work at the booth level, we are very confident that we are going to win comfortably.

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The Congress promise to ban Bajrang Dal has triggered a controversy. What was the thought behind including such a promise?

It is only the reflection of the commitment that the Congress will not allow any communal force to breach peace anywhere in the country. It is not against any particular religion or community. Congress is a party that is inclusive and respects all faiths. But we will not allow lumpen elements to use the facade of religion to create trouble.

A section in the Congress believes that the move is counter-productive. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has criticised your move. Wouldn’t the move help the BJP?

Karnataka is said to be the mythical birthplace of Hanuman. Under the BJP rule, four Hanuman temples were demolished. That is BJP’s love for Lord Hanuman. They are using Lord Hanuman for votes. I think there is no need to depict our move as something else.

There is an emphasis on social justice in the Congress manifesto. Why this emphasis?

Those who deserve to get their share of resources should get it. The OBCs, SCs and STs should get what they are entitled to. Congress Raipur Plenary has taken a very forward looking and brave position on this. We demand that the Caste Census be held and there should be proportional representation.

Will the Congress take up this campaign plank in Karnataka to the national level in the 2024 Lok Sabha campaign?

We will continue to pursue the goal of a Caste Census till it is done. This is not just an election slogan for us. We earnestly believe that it is a necessity that we have a Caste Census to ensure social justice.

The manifesto also promises to increase the quota cap from 50 per cent to 75 per cent. Wouldn’t it alienate middle-class and forward castes?

I don’t think so. Rahul Gandhi made the demand for increasing the quota cap in Kolar. In Karnataka, you have Vokkaligas and Lingayats in OBCs. A large number of the population are OBCs. Then we have SCs and STs. The demand is not to antagonise any section. It is to ensure justice to all. With a 50 per cent cap on quota, we cannot ensure social justice. Several states have started demanding that the cap be increased as it is not feasible.

There is criticism of the five guarantees announced by the Congress. Some sections call it freebies which will have financial implications. Have you considered how much these will cost the exchequer?

We have not promised something without giving adequate thought. Congress ran a government under Siddaramaiah between 2013 and 2018 and it was known for inclusive growth. It was one of the best governments Karnataka had and it implemented almost all the promises. So we have a track record. While preparing this time’s manifesto, we consulted experts and others about the financial implications and whether we can go ahead with it. Only after such an assurance we went ahead. Congress does not have a habit of announcing something that is not achievable.