The Bharatiya Janata Party has accused the Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge of insulting Badrinath. The BJP levelled this allegation on the basis of a photograph showing Kharge simply touching the Prasad from Badrinath instead of receiving it properly when Pradesh Congress Committee president Karan Mahara presented it to him during a courtesy visit.

The BJP State media in-charge Manveer Singh Chauhan said that the photographs showing Mahara presenting Badrinath Prasad to Kharge are objectionable. “The photograph shows the Congress national president sitting on his chair and simply touching the Prasad being presented by Mahara. This is an insult to 120 crore followers of Sanatan Dharma because it is common knowledge that the Prasad of the lord is received respectfully with both hands while standing up. It is unfortunate that the Congress national president in his arrogance disrespected Bhagwan Badri Vishal. It is more unfortunate that the Pradesh Congress Committee president is simply watching Sanatan culture being insulted,” opined Chauhan.

Chauhan further said that this once again shows that the Congress leaders in Delhi and Uttarakhand do not accord importance to Hindu culture and traditions. The party leaders who are Hindu when convenient get photographed wearing the sacred thread to remain in conversation but at the same time do not leave an opportunity to insult the Sanatan culture. The Congress national president and PCC president should apologise publicly for insulting Sanatan culture, said the BJP State media in-charge.

Taking a dig at the leader of opposition in the Assembly, Yashpal Arya’s meeting with Kharge, Chauhan said that the Congress national president not even getting up from his chair while meeting other Congress leaders shows the level of importance accorded to the State’s Congress leaders in Delhi.