Bengaluru, August 14, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Thursday condemned the reported ‘shuddhikaran’ (purification) ritual at the venue of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge’s public meeting in Haldwani, Uttarakhand, calling it a “disgraceful act” and an affront to the Constitution.
Shivakumar said the reported incident was not merely an insult to Kharge but a challenge to the constitutional principles of equality, fraternity and human dignity.
Calling Kharge one of India’s respected statesmen and a lifelong public servant, the Karnataka Chief Minister said suggesting that a public place needed purification because it had been addressed by a Dalit leader amounted to “unambiguous caste discrimination”.
“It demeans not only Mallikarjun Kharge avaru but every Indian who believes in equality, fraternity and human dignity,” Shivakumar said.
He said untouchability was neither a matter of personal opinion nor a social practice that could be justified, but was prohibited under the Constitution. Attempts to legitimise such practices, he added, amounted to an attack on the foundations laid by B.R. Ambedkar and the framers of the Constitution.
“India cannot and must not tolerate the revival of such medieval prejudices in public life. Every citizen, irrespective of caste, is entitled to equal dignity and equal respect,” he said.
Shivakumar expressed solidarity with Kharge and urged democratic forces to speak out against the reported incident, warning that silence could embolden forces seeking to divide society.
He called for a renewed commitment to equality, justice and the constitutional guarantee of dignity for all.
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and Revenue and Sports Minister G. Parameshwara also condemned the reported ritual, saying the incident showed that caste discrimination and untouchability continued to persist in the country.
FOLLOW NOW
