Haldwani, August 29, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Saturday rejected allegations of caste discrimination in the state amid the controversy over a ‘shuddhikaran’ (purification) ritual at a Ramlila ground in Haldwani following Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s public meeting there.
Dhami said those who conducted the purification ritual were neither office-bearers nor workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and maintained that the programme had been organised by religious organisations in protest against what they described as religiously provocative slogans and alleged desecration at the venue.
“Those people who performed the purification ritual are no office-bearers of the Bharatiya Janata Party, no workers,” Dhami told reporters.
He said the Ramlila venue was a religious place where major religious events are held and alleged that slogans reflecting religious fanaticism had been raised there and that the site had subsequently been desecrated.
“Against this, religious organisations organised a purification programme there,” the Chief Minister said, accusing the Congress of raising the issue because it had become “issueless”.
Dhami questioned allegations of caste discrimination in Uttarakhand, asking, “Who in Uttarakhand will admit today that caste discrimination exists here?”
He highlighted the Centre’s development approach under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, citing the slogan of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas” as an example of its emphasis on inclusion and equal development.
The Chief Minister also criticised the Congress over its treatment of prominent Dalit leaders, referring to former party president Sitaram Kesri, former Deputy Prime Minister Babu Jagjivan Ram and Dr B.R. Ambedkar. He alleged that Ambedkar and Jagjivan Ram were not given due recognition during Congress rule and said Ambedkar was not allowed to receive the Bharat Ratna or enter Parliament.
Dhami accused the Congress of pursuing “appeasement” and attempting to use the controversy for electoral gains. He also defended Uttarakhand’s social character, saying people from different parts of the country had historically been welcomed and assimilated into the state.
The remarks came after Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi direct the registration of an FIR against those allegedly involved in the purification ritual at the Ramlila ground following Kharge’s address.
Gandhi described the episode as part of a broader ideological contest between the Constitution and what he characterised as the RSS-BJP’s views. He demanded justice for Kharge and urged the government to initiate action under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Dhami, meanwhile, maintained that no incident had occurred against Kharge or the Congress and said the party should seek votes by working for them rather than creating what he called an unnecessary narrative around the controversy.
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