Kharge raised the Haldwani ‘shuddhikaran’ controversy in Rajya Sabha on Thursday.
JP Nadda called the incident unfortunate and denied BJP involvement in it.
Congress leaders alleged the ritual reflected caste discrimination against Kharge.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday alleged that a “shuddhikaran”, or purification ceremony, was conducted at a venue in Uttarakhand's Haldwani days after he addressed a political rally there.
The controversy relates to Haldwani’s Ram Lila Ground, where people reportedly conducted a havan two days after Kharge addressed a Congress rally on August 8.Kharge, who is a Dalit, raised the matter on the final day of Parliament’s Monsoon Session, questioning the motive behind the ritual.
Union Minister JP Nadda termed the incident “unfortunate” and sought to distance the BJP from it, saying the party did not endorse such practices.
Kharge Raises Issue In Rajya Sabha
Speaking in the Upper House, Kharge alleged that BJP workers had performed a havan and carried out a “purification” of the stage after his rally.
“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 said.
Questioning the incident, he added, “Is this the way in a democracy? How are you protecting the Constitution? I am the LoP... I never wanted to politicise these issues.”
His remarks triggered protests and sloganeering from Congress MPs.
Responding to Kharge, the Rajya Sabha Speaker CP Radhakrishnan said there could be no justification for untouchability and called for action against those responsible.
“It should be condemned. Those who have done it should be caught. There is no two opinions on this,” he said.
Nadda Says BJP Does Not Support Such Activities
Nadda rejected suggestions that the BJP was behind the ceremony and assured Kharge that the matter would be looked into.
“Please don't say repeatedly that we (BJP) did. The BJP does not subscribe to such activities,” Nadda said.
“I assure you that whatever happened there will certainly be investigated. The (BJP) national president will look into this. It is a matter of great regret for all of us that your sentiments were hurt,” he added.
Kharge, however, maintained that his demand was for legal action rather than political blame.
“I am saying register a case, arrest them...This is what we demand,” he said.
Ritual Sparks Political Row In Uttarakhand
The controversy had already escalated in Uttarakhand after videos purportedly showing the ceremony circulated on social media. One of the videos showed a priest performing a havan while Vedic mantras were being chanted.
Another video reportedly showed one of the organisers arguing that the Ram Lila Ground had religious significance and should be used for cultural rather than political programmes.
Girish Chandra Pandey, described as a member of the group involved in the ceremony, defended the ritual and claimed that some slogans raised during Kharge’s rally “sounded like Islamic slogans”, according to a Times of India report.
Uttarakhand Congress president Ganesh Godiyal alleged that the ritual had been conducted by the Shri Ram Sena, which he claimed had links with the BJP. The BJP has denied any association with the organisation.
Godiyal also alleged that Kharge’s caste was behind the ceremony and accused the BJP of encouraging divisions on caste lines.
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also criticised the incident and demanded an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“This mindset clearly demonstrates the ideologies of the BJP and the RSS. This must be repudiated,” she said.
The Rashtriya Janata Dal also attacked the BJP over the controversy. RJD spokesperson Priyanka Bharti wrote on social media, “The barbaric progeny of Manu simply cannot stomach the fact that a Dalit is one of the country's foremost leaders.”
BJP Denies Links With Organisers
The BJP has maintained that it had no connection with those who conducted the ceremony.
Uttarakhand minister and BJP spokesperson Khajan Das, however, said some slogans raised during Kharge’s rally could have hurt the sentiments of members of the Sanatan community, PTI reported.
Das said the Ram Lila Ground carried religious significance and suggested that people may have objected to slogans associated with another religion being raised at the venue.
