New Delhi: Celebrations started in the Congress headquarters at Delhi this morning as the party shot past the halfway mark in Karnataka by mid-morning leads. A number of Congress workers were seen dressed as Bajrang Bali Hanuman, in a pointed jibe at the BJP and the right wing.

“Bajrang Bali BJP ke nahi Congress ke sath hain… Bajrang Bali ne BJP par fine lagaya hai (Lord Bajrang Bali is with the Congress. He has levied a fine on the BJP,” said one of the workers prancing around in a Hanuman costume.

The choice of garb is a reminder of the huge political controversy over the Congress party’s promise of banning right wing groups like the Bajrang Dal “spreading hatred amongst communities on grounds of caste or religion.”

“We believe that law and Constitution is sacrosanct and cannot be violated by individuals and Organisations like Bajrang Dal, PFI or others promoting enmity or hatred, whether among majority or minority communities,” the manifesto had said.