‘Defending untouchability’: Congress targets Uttarakhand BJP chief over ritual
The Congress on Thursday, August 27, accused Uttarakhand BJP president Mahendra Bhatt of defending a ‘shuddhikaran’ (purification) ritual allegedly conducted at the Haldwani venue where party president Mallikarjun Kharge addressed a rally, and questioned whether the BJP would take action against him.
The Congress' media and publicity department head Pawan Khera alleged that Bhatt’s remarks amounted to a justification of the ritual and accused the BJP and RSS of promoting discrimination against Dalits.
Khera, sharing a video of Bhatt’s remarks, said the BJP leader had claimed the venue was “polluted” by slogans that were inappropriate for a religious place. Khera asked whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi would act against Bhatt over his comments.
Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate also shared the video and accused Bhatt of defending the purification ceremony, describing it as an example of what she called the BJP’s attitude towards Dalits.
The controversy relates to an alleged ‘shuddhikaran’ ceremony held at Ramlila Maidan in Haldwani after Kharge addressed a gathering there on August 8. The Congress Working Committee had subsequently condemned the ritual and questioned the silence of Prime Minister Modi.
Kharge had also criticised the BJP over the incident, accusing the party of selectively interpreting religious values and saying the alleged purification of the venue after his speech reflected discrimination.
Uttarakhand Congress president Ganesh Godiyal has alleged that the Shri Ram Sena, which conducted the ceremony, was associated with the BJP. The BJP has strongly denied the allegation.
The issue gained further political traction after BJP president J P Nadda reportedly described the Haldwani purification ceremony as “unfortunate”. The Congress, however, has argued that Bhatt’s reported defence of the ritual contradicts that position.
The BJP’s response to the latest Congress allegations was not immediately available.
with inputs from PTI