Bajrang Dal

Bajrang Dal (lit. 'Brigade of Bajrangbali') is an Indian Hindutva militant organisation that forms the youth wing of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP). It is a member of the Sangh Parivar, led by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a right-wing Hindutva paramilitary organisation. It was founded on 1 October 1984 in Uttar Pradesh, and began spreading more in the 2010s throughout India, although its most significant base remains the northern and central portions of the country. The group runs about 2,500 akharas, similar to the shakhas (branches) of the RSS. The name "Bajrang" is a reference to the Hindu deity Hanuman. The Bajrang Dal opposes Muslim demographic growth, conversion to Christianity, cow slaughter, and alleged western influence in Indian culture.