BJP performs 'buddhi shuddhi' ritual for Rahul Gandhi as 'shuddhikaran' row grows

The political row over the alleged 'shuddhikaran' (purification) ritual held at a ground in Uttarakhand's Haldwani after Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge's rally escalated on Tuesday, with the BJP performing a 'buddhi shuddhi yagna' (intellect cleansing ritual) to take a dig at Congress MP Rahul Gandhi.The BJP's Scheduled Caste (SC) Morcha performed the 'buddhi shuddhi yagna' at a temple in Dehradun, placing a picture of Rahul Gandhi during the ritual. The party said the ceremony was intended to help Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders "attain wisdom and stop spreading lies".The row drew a response from Uttarakhand Minister Bhagwat Makwana, who said Rahul Gandhi was the Leader of the Opposition and enjoyed ministerial status. "Even if a minister commits a crime, action will be taken," he told Aaj Tak.The BJP's 'buddhi shuddhi yagna' came a day after Congress workers submitted complaints at police stations across Uttarakhand, seeking FIRs under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against those allegedly involved in the Haldwani "purification" ritual. The workers also protested outside Uttarakhand Secretariat to demand the withdrawal of the FIR against Rahul Gandhi over the 'shuddhikaran' row. WHAT IS THE 'SHUDDHIKARAN' ROW?The controversy began after a 'shuddhikaran yagna' was allegedly performed at the Ramlila Ground in Haldwani on August 11, three days after Kharge addressed a Congress rally there. The Congress linked the ritual to Kharge's Dalit identity and accused the BJP of promoting an anti-Dalit mindset.The BJP has denied that any of its officials performed the ritual. It has maintained that the ground was cleaned and a havan was conducted because the Congress rally had left the venue littered. BJP leaders have also said members of the Valmiki community participated in the programme and that it had no connection with Kharge's caste. Rahul Gandhi, speaking at a press conference in Delhi on August 29, called the 'shuddhikaran' row an act of untouchability and a crime, and demanded an FIR under the SC/ST Act against those responsible. He also accused the BJP-RSS of continuing the practice of untouchability and claimed the incident reflected the treatment of Dalits in the country.An FIR has since been registered against Rahul Gandhi following a complaint by Haldwani resident Amit Kumar, a member of the Valmiki community and an office-bearer of Shri Ram Sena Dharmarth Seva Nyas. Kumar alleged that Rahul Gandhi's remarks gave a "casteist spin" to the ritual and hurt the sentiments of the community.The case was registered under Sections 196 (promoting enmity between groups), 299 (outraging religious feelings) of the BNS and Section 3(1) (offences against SC/ST members) of the SC/ST Act, police said. Kumar claimed that people from different sections of society, including members of the Scheduled Caste community, had participated in the ritual and cleanliness drive.CONGRESS DOUBLES DOWN, BJP HITS BACKCongress spokesperson Pratima Singh said party workers had been demanding action against those responsible for the Haldwani 'shuddhikaran' ritual since August 9, but no FIR had been registered. She said Congress workers had now submitted complaints in all districts and warned of a massive protest if their complaints were not acted upon."If our FIR is not registered, the Congress will take to the streets and stage a massive protest, in which several leaders from Delhi might also participate," Singh said.BJP's SC Morcha state president Balbir Ghuniyal accused Rahul Gandhi and the Congress of attempting to disturb social harmony by linking the ritual to caste. He said the people of Uttarakhand were not even aware of Kharge's caste and claimed that no BJP worker was present at the event, The Indian Express reported.Ghuniyal said the BJP's SC Morcha would continue burning Rahul Gandhi's effigies across the state and demanding action against him. The BJP staged protests and burnt effigies of the Congress leader at district headquarters across Uttarakhand on Tuesday.- Ends(with inputs from PTI)Published By: Prateek ChakrabortyPublished On: Sep 2, 2026 09:20 IST