Kharge Flags ‘Purification’ Row at CWC Meet
Congress president expresses disappointment over lack of support from party leaders after Haldwani incident
- Mallikarjun Kharge expressed disappointment at the CWC meeting over limited support from party leaders.
- He referred to the ‘purification’ ritual held after his Haldwani rally.
- Congress termed the incident unacceptable and linked it to an anti-Dalit mindset.
- BJP distanced itself from the ritual and assured an inquiry into the matter.
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 20th Aug: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge expressed disappointment before senior party leaders during the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting, saying he was “hurt” that many members had not publicly supported him over the controversy surrounding the alleged ‘purification’ of a rally venue in Uttarakhand’s Haldwani.
According to sources, Kharge told the meeting that several CWC members did not openly condemn the incident, which took place after his ‘Vijay Shankhnaad’ rally at Haldwani’s Ramlila Maidan on August 8. Two days later, members of the right-wing organisation Shri Ram Sena conducted a shuddhikaran havan (purification ritual) at the venue.
While Kharge did not name any individual leader, sources said his remarks and body language indicated disappointment over the perceived lack of support from some senior Congress leaders.
Briefing the media after the CWC meeting, Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal described the incident as “unacceptable” and “condemnable”, alleging that it reflected the BJP’s mindset.
The Congress has claimed that those involved in the ritual had links with the BJP and the RSS, alleging that the act exposed an “anti-Dalit mindset”. The BJP, however, has denied any connection with the organisers and has publicly condemned the purification ritual.
Raising the issue in the Rajya Sabha on the final day of the Monsoon Session, Kharge said the incident had deeply affected him.
“I do not want to turn this into a political issue. I have never told anyone that I am Dalit—protect me. I have the strength to fight. But in Haldwani, the purification of the stage made me feel the sting of untouchability and humiliated me,” he said.
Kharge demanded that a case be registered under the Untouchability Act against those who conducted the ritual and sought their immediate arrest.
Responding in the Rajya Sabha, Union Minister J.P. Nadda termed the incident unfortunate, clarified that BJP members were not involved, and assured the House that an inquiry into the matter would be conducted.
The controversy has sparked a fresh political exchange between the Congress and the BJP, with both parties maintaining contrasting positions over the incident and its political implications.
