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, tridents and country made pistols. It has been suspected of involvement in the Gujarat riots in which up to 2000 people may have died.
