Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], August 29 (ANI): Uttarakhand Cabinet Minister Khajan Das on Saturday rejected Congress's allegations over the 'purification' ritual conducted at Ramlila Ground in Haldwani, saying the BJP had no connection with the incident and accusing Congress of spreading misinformation among the Dalit community.
Reacting to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's allegations against the BJP and RSS, Das said there was no intention to insult Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and that the BJP completely dissociated itself from the incident.
"The way the Congress is spreading rumours and attempting to mislead the Dalit community, claiming that a 'purification' ritual was performed at the Ramlila Ground in Haldwani and that Kharge ji, who hails from the Dalit community, was insulted, is incorrect," Das told ANI.
"I wish to state that there was no such intention; the Bharatiya Janata Party dissociates itself from this entirely. The BJP has nothing to do with it," he added.
Das said if any organisation conducted a havan or purification ritual at the venue, it was its own affair, but criticised Congress for allegedly presenting it as a BJP-linked incident.
"If an organisation conducted a havan or a purification ritual there, that is their own affair. However, spreading such misinformation is not right," the minister said.
His remarks came after Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, earlier in the day, attacked the BJP and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) over the incident, calling 'purification' another name for untouchability and alleging that it amounted to a crime under the Constitution.
Addressing a press conference in Delhi, Gandhi said the country was witnessing a political contest between the ideology of the Constitution and that of the BJP and RSS.
"Our CLP leader in Rajasthan visits a temple, and BJP leaders perform a 'purification' ritual. Congress President Kharge ji, who has dedicated his entire life to the country and the Constitution, goes to the Ramlila Ground in Haldwani to deliver a speech, and a purification ritual is performed there. Who does this? It is the people from the BJP and RSS," Gandhi said.
"Only BJP and RSS members do this, and it is a crime. Under India's Constitution, this is a crime, a criminal activity. 'Purification' is actually just another name for untouchability. Untouchability was outlawed, yet BJP members practice it openly," he added.
Gandhi also alleged that the ritual conveyed that Dalits were "unclean" and should not be touched.
"When they perform this purification, they are effectively saying that Dalits should not be touched, that Dalits are unclean, and this constitutes a crime under the Indian Constitution," he said.
The controversy stems from a Congress rally held at Ramlila Maidan in Haldwani on August 8, ahead of the 2027 Uttarakhand Assembly elections. Members of a right-wing group later conducted a purification ritual at the venue, drawing criticism from Congress leaders.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had also raised the issue in the Rajya Sabha, linking the incident to his identity as a Dalit leader.
Kharge had said that he did not mention any community or religion during his speech at the venue but alleged that people associated with the BJP subsequently conducted a purification ritual of the stage.
"But after my speech, people associated with the BJP carried out a 'purification' ritual of that stage. You may have read about this in the newspapers. Is this the way things should happen in a democracy? How are you protecting the Constitution?" Kharge had said.
He later called for strict legal action and demanded that a case be registered under the Untouchability Act against those who conducted the ritual. (ANI)
"BJP has nothing to do with it": U'khand Minister Das rejects Cong's claim of Kharge's insult in Haldwani purification ritual
