Mallikarjun Kharge Raises Haldwani Shuddhikaran Row
Congress president and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge has raised the Haldwani “shuddhikaran” controversy in Parliament, saying the ritual made him feel he was being treated as “untouchable”. BJP leader J.P. Nadda condemned the reported incident and promised an investigation.
Kharge Raises Haldwani Shuddhikaran Row
Kharge referred to a purification ritual conducted at Haldwani’s Ram Lila Ground on August 10, two days after he addressed a Congress rally at the venue.
Members of Shri Ram Sena Dharmarth Seva Nyas Sangathan had performed a hawan, saying the ground held religious and cultural significance and objecting to its use for political events.
Kharge alleged in the Rajya Sabha that people linked to the BJP were behind the ritual and questioned whether such an act was compatible with constitutional values.
Kharge Says He Was Treated as Untouchable
Kharge said he had never sought sympathy on the basis of being a Dalit or belonging to a Scheduled Caste, but argued that the purification ritual amounted to humiliation and untouchability.
He demanded legal action against those responsible if the allegations were established.
The Congress has also accused the BJP of orchestrating the incident, while BJP leaders in Uttarakhand have denied any connection with the organisers.
JP Nadda Promises Investigation
Leader of the House J.P. Nadda said the BJP did not support or endorse such activities and described the controversy as regrettable.
He assured Kharge that the matter would be investigated and said action should follow if wrongdoing was established.
Rajya Sabha Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan also condemned untouchability and called for an investigation into the incident.
