By Swati
Dehradoon ,1 September 26
The political controversy over the ‘shuddhikaran’ (purification) ritual at Haldwani’s Ramlila Maidan following Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s rally has intensified, with Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami launching a sharp counterattack on the Congress.
Dhami rejected the Congress’s allegations of caste discrimination, asserting that the purification ritual had nothing to do with Kharge’s caste. He said the venue was a religious site where Ramleela is organised and claimed that religious organisations objected to alleged religious slogans and the condition of the venue after the Congress programme.
The Chief Minister also maintained that no BJP office-bearer or worker was involved in the purification ceremony. He accused the Congress of giving the controversy a caste angle and attempting to create a political narrative for electoral gains.
The Congress, meanwhile, has continued to question the circumstances surrounding the incident and has accused the government of making statements without establishing the facts. The controversy has now turned into a wider political confrontation over caste, religion and the interpretation of Sanatan traditions in Uttarakhand.
Dhami has said that Uttarakhand’s culture is based on social harmony and acceptance rather than caste-based discrimination, while accusing the Congress of trying to divide society by politicising the issue.
The row has gained further momentum after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi raised the issue publicly, prompting Dhami to respond strongly.
