New Delhi, September 5, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The alleged ‘shuddhikaran’ (purification) ritual held at a venue in Uttarakhand’s Haldwani after a Congress rally has triggered a political confrontation, with Opposition parties condemning the incident and the BJP accusing the Congress of attempting to give it a communal colour.
A Zero FIR has been registered in Bengaluru following a complaint alleging that a purification ritual was conducted at Ramlila Ground in Haldwani after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge addressed a public rally there on August 8, 2026.
Congress MP Manoj Kumar described the alleged incident as deeply unfortunate and questioned why action had not been taken against those responsible.
“This insult was an insult to the entire country. This insult was an insult to the entire Dalit community. This was an insult to all Members of Parliament across India, Rajya Sabha MPs and all public representatives,” he told IANS.
Kumar also referred to a discussion in Parliament in which Rajya Sabha Leader of the House J.P. Nadda had reportedly described the incident as unfortunate and said action should be taken.
He questioned when an FIR would be registered in Haldwani and when the local police and administration would act, saying that a government in power should not shield those responsible for wrongdoing.
Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Manoj Kumar Jha also criticised the alleged ritual, saying such practices were inconsistent with constitutional values.
“Why are such words being used? These are words of medieval barbarism,” Jha said, arguing that the incident was particularly objectionable given Kharge’s stature as a public representative.
Jha recalled the discussion in the Rajya Sabha and said that although Nadda had termed the incident unfortunate, no action had been taken despite the passage of time.
The BJP, however, has rejected the Opposition’s contention that the ritual was linked to the Congress rally.
Former BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh alleged that the Congress was attempting to connect the incident with its rally as part of what he described as “appeasement politics”.
He said BJP programmes were conducted according to established traditions and that prayers were performed before its events. Singh claimed the controversy arose because a Congress programme had been held at the venue before a BJP event.
The controversy continues amid the Opposition’s demand for action against those allegedly involved and the BJP’s assertion that the purification ritual was unrelated to the Congress gathering.
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