Kharge 'purification' row: Rahul demands FIR, BJP hits back with anti-Dalit jibe

Rahul Gandhi demanded an FIR over an alleged purification ritual after Mallikarjun Kharge's Haldwani rally, calling it untouchability. The BJP denied involvement, accused Congress of exploiting Dalits, and said religious groups performed the ritual after provocative slogans at the rally.

In Short

• Rahul Gandhi said the alleged act reflects BJP-RSS's mindset
• He seeks SC/ST Act charges, flags there has been no action so far
• BJP accuses Congress of feudal politics, supporting divisive forces

The row over an alleged purification ritual at the venue of Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge’s rally in Haldwani has taken a sharp political turn, with the BJP and the Congress trading allegations over discrimination against Dalits.

The confrontation intensified after Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi demanded an FIR under the SC/ST Act against those responsible. The BJP hit back, accusing Gandhi and the Congress of having an “anti-Dalit and feudal” mindset.

RAHUL GANDHI DEMANDS FIR

Addressing a press conference at the Congress headquarters on Saturday, Gandhi said the alleged ritual amounted to untouchability and reflected the “BJP-RSS mindset”. He claimed that no action had been taken even 20 days after the incident.

“The incident reflects the mindset of the BJP-RSS people who continue to practise untouchability. They do not want Dalits to progress, live with respect and become successful,” Gandhi said.

He asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure that a case was registered against those responsible.

Gandhi also accused Uttarakhand BJP president Mahendra Bhatt of defending the ritual and questioned Modi’s silence.

“PM Modi states that he belongs to every caste and is the prime minister of the country, but his party chief in Uttarakhand defends ‘shuddhikaran’,” he said.

Gandhi warned that the Congress would pursue action against those responsible even if the BJP governments at the Centre and in Uttarakhand failed to act.

BJP HITS BACK AT CONGRESS

The BJP accused the Congress of using Dalits for political gain and said Gandhi had no moral right to speak about their rights.

“Rahul Gandhi has no moral right to speak about Dalits. The Congress has only used Dalits for political benefit,” the party said.

The ruling party invoked the Congress’s treatment of BR Ambedkar and former Deputy Prime Minister Jagjivan Ram to question its record on Dalit rights.

“Babasaheb Ambedkar was conferred the Bharat Ratna only when a BJP-supported government was in power,” the party said.

The BJP also questioned why Kharge was not present in the room when Priyanka Gandhi Vadra filed her nomination papers for the 2024 Wayanad Lok Sabha bypoll.

Citing its government’s efforts over the past 12 years to honour Ambedkar and his legacy, the BJP said it did not need to prove its commitment to Dalits to the Congress.

WHAT HAPPENED IN HALDWANI

Kharge addressed a Congress rally in Haldwani on August 8. He alleged that BJP-RSS workers conducted a “shuddhikaran”, or purification ritual, at the venue two days later because he is a Dalit.

Kharge raised the issue in the Rajya Sabha on August 13. The Congress described the ritual as an act of untouchability and demanded action under the SC/ST Act.

“There were lakhs of people present at the time. I did not name any community or religion. I only spoke about the problems faced by the people there. But after my speech, BJP workers performed a havan,” Kharge had said.

However, Girish Chandra Pandey, the main organiser of the ritual, denied that it was linked to Kharge’s caste.

Pandey claimed that liquor bottles, paan stains, urine and wrappers had been found at the venue after the rally. He said the site was cleaned before a yajna was conducted to restore its sanctity.

“The purification ritual was performed to restore the sanctity of the place. We cleaned up the filth left behind on the stage and rendered the site fit for a yajna,” Pandey said.

He accused political parties of exploiting the event and said Gandhi did not have complete information about what had happened.

ROW WIDENS INTO BJP-CONGRESS CLASH

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami denied the involvement of BJP workers in the ritual.

“No BJP worker was among those people who carried out the purification. But does anyone in Uttarakhand know what Mallikarjun Kharge’s caste is?” Dhami said.

He claimed that provocative religious slogans had been raised at the Congress rally and that some religious organisations conducted the purification programme in response.

Accusing Kharge of “lying”, senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said the Modi government had respected Dalits, protected constitutional safeguards for reservation and introduced development programmes for the community.

The Congress, however, rejected the BJP’s defence and maintained that the ritual amounted to caste discrimination.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said describing the ritual as “shuddhikaran” or “safai” did not change the nature of the act.

“Performing a ‘purification’ ritual following the presence of a prominent Dalit leader is an act of untouchability,” Tharoor said.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh alleged that such incidents repeatedly occurred in BJP-ruled states because those responsible enjoyed the support of the top leadership.

“Such audacity only comes when there’s backing from the top. Otherwise, what is the reason for such incidents recurring repeatedly in BJP-ruled states?” Ramesh said.

- Ends