Shimla: The Congress has gone into damage control mode in Himachal after the backlash in Karnataka over the ‘Bajrang Dal ban issue’ with the party’s leaders making a beeline to pay obeisance at the ancient temple of Lord Hanuman—Bajrangbali in the city.

Immediately after winning the Shimla Municipal Corporation polls, results of which were declared on May 4, Congress MLA Harish Janartha led elected councillors to the temple.

Shimla is host to the ancient temple of lord Hanuman at Jakhu hill, where 108 high statues of Lord Hanuman have been installed since 2010. The tallest statue of Lord Hanuman is 8,850 feet and is ranked at the top in the Guinness book of world records.

Political observers say the Congress is clearly in a state of panic and trying to undo the damage after Prime Minister Narendra Modi put the party on the backfoot for trying to ban the followers of Lord Hanuman. The party does not want this to become an issue in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls next year.

After the Congress promised to ban Bajrang dal in its manifesto released for Karnataka, the BJP had stepped up its attack against the Congress, daring the party to impose such a ban in Himachal Pradesh, where the party had returned to power in the 2022 poll.

Sensing trouble, the party high command is understood to have directed the state leadership to escort all the newly elected councillors to Jakhu temple and pay obeisance to Shri Hanuman ji in order to counter the BJP.

Harish Janartha, first time Congress MLA from Shimla took the councillors to the Jakhu temple and posed for pictures. AICC incharge for Himachal Pradesh Rajeev Shukla was quick to take to Twitter and publicise the councillors  paying obeisance to Lord Hanuman.

AICC spokesperson Supriya Shrinate also tweeted beginning with the slogan of Jai Hanuman. It was simultaneously retweeted by Randeep Singh Surjewala also sharing the pictures of newly elected Congress councillors standing near 108-feet status of Hanuman ji.

Chief Minister Sukhwinder Sukhu, currently campaigning in Karnataka when asked if he accepts the BJP challenge to ban Bajrang Dal in Himachal said,  “ the BJP rakes up such issues in the polls. They are not concerned about what the government is doing for unemployed youths, women and farmers. My government is focussing on welfare of the downtrodden and poor, apart from youths, women and farmers. They want to divert attention.”