Bajrang Dal
Bajrang Dal is the youth wing of
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. It was started in
1984 in the Indian state of
Uttar Pradesh. Gradually it spread throughout
India. The main ideology of the organisation is
militant Hindutva. It is closely related to India's current main ruling party, the
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). It was banned for two years by the Indian government for its role in the demolition of
Babri Masjid in the Indian city of
Ayodhya. It claims a membership of five
lakh (500,000) active workers. Their motto is "Seva, Suraksha, Sanskar" (Service, Security, and Embellishment).
The organisation claims to be involved in various welfare measures. However critics claim that the organisation is responsible for fuelling hatred against the indian minorities namely Muslims. In many instance the organisation was involved in training its members to use weapons such as swords, trishul and country made pistols. It has been suspected of involvement in the Gujarat riots in which nearly 1000-2000 people are believed to be dead.