A controversy has erupted nationwide after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s rally site in Haldwani, Uttarakhand, was allegedly the scene of a “purification” ritual, prompting Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi to accuse the BJP and the RSS of promoting discrimination against Dalits and to demand immediate legal action. Speaking at a press conference at Indira Bhavan in New Delhi on Saturday, Rahul Gandhi called for an FIR to be registered against those involved under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Congress says the incident took place after a large party rally held on August 8 at Ramleela Maidan in Haldwani, where Kharge was the chief speaker. According to the party, a group identified with the Shri Ram Sena performed a so‑called “shuddhikaran” (purification) puja on the ground after the event. Uttarakhand Congress president Ganesh Godiyal has alleged the act was motivated by Kharge’s Dalit identity.
Rahul Gandhi described the episode not merely as an insult to Kharge but as a sign of a broader discriminatory mindset toward the Dalit community. He said attempts to “purify” an area after the presence of an individual represent a new form of untouchability and noted that such practices are abhorrent to the Constitution, which bans untouchability. He voiced deep concern that such incidents continue despite constitutional safeguards.
Highlighting what he called persistent social discrimination, Rahul Gandhi pointed to ongoing examples across the country-Dalit children being forced to clean school toilets, coerced into sweeping, or served tea in separate cups at shops. He argued that if a senior national leader like Kharge can be subjected to such behavior, conditions for Dalit children in remote villages are likely far worse.
Framing the episode as part of a larger ideological battle, Rahul said the country is witnessing a clash between the constitutional values shaped by B.R. Ambedkar, Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Patel, and what he termed the divisive politics of the BJP and the RSS. He urged both the Uttarakhand state government and the central government to act, warning that the Congress will not remain silent if legal steps are not taken. He also questioned the role of the Uttarakhand BJP state president and pressed for a prompt inquiry and action against the accused.
The matter had been raised earlier this month in the Rajya Sabha by Mallikarjun Kharge himself. BJP leader J.P. Nadda had publicly said the party does not endorse such acts and called for an investigation. Rahul Gandhi’s renewed criticism, alleging inaction, has once again pushed caste discrimination, constitutional values and social equality back into the centre of political debate.
Original Source: https://assam.nenow.in/purification-at-kharges-meeting-venue-rahul-gandhi-launches-scathing-attack-on-bjp-rss-calls-it-a-new-form-of-untouchability/
Category: দেশ,শীর্ষ সংবাদ
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Publish Date: 2026-08-29 18:06:00
