Kharge 'purification' row: Rahul demands FIR, BJP hits back with anti-Dalit jibe

An alleged purification ritual at Mallikarjun Kharge's Haldwani rally venue has triggered a sharp BJP-Congress confrontation. Rahul Gandhi called it untouchability, while the BJP turned the charge back on Congress over its Dalit record.Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi. (Photo: PTI)The row over an alleged purification ritual at the venue where Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge addressed a rally in Haldwani has escalated into a war of words, with the BJP accusing the principal Opposition party of being historically “anti-Dalit”.The BJP’s response came hours after Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi demanded an FIR against those responsible under the SC/ST Act. He said the alleged ritual amounted to untouchability and blamed the “BJP-RSS mindset” for it.Addressing a press conference at the Congress headquarters on Saturday, Gandhi alleged that no action had been taken even 20 days after the incident. He asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure that a case was registered.“The incident reflects the mindset of the BJP-RSS people who continue to practise untouchability. They do not want Dalits to progress, live with respect and become successful,” Gandhi said. BJP HITS BACK AT RAHUL GANDHIThe BJP accused the Congress and Gandhi of having an “anti-Dalit and feudal” mindset. It also alleged that the party had repeatedly supported “anti-national forces” seeking to divide India.“Rahul Gandhi has no moral right to speak about Dalits. The Congress has only used Dalits for political benefit,” the BJP said. The ruling party invoked the Congress’s treatment of BR Ambedkar and former Deputy Prime Minister Jagjivan Ram to question its record on Dalit rights.“The Congress did not confer the Bharat Ratna on Ambedkar. He received it only after a BJP-supported government came to power,” the party said.The BJP also questioned why Kharge was not present in the room when Priyanka Gandhi Vadra filed her nomination papers for the 2024 Wayanad Lok Sabha bypoll. It alleged that the episode reflected the Congress’s treatment of its Dalit president.The party said it did not need to prove its commitment to Dalits to the Congress, pointing to steps taken by its government over the past 12 years to honour Ambedkar and his legacy.WHAT HAPPENED IN HALDWANIKharge addressed a Congress rally in Haldwani on August 8. Gandhi alleged that BJP-RSS workers conducted a “shuddhikaran”, or purification ritual, at the venue two days later.Kharge raised the matter in Parliament on August 13. The Congress has alleged that the ritual was conducted because Kharge is a Dalit and described it as an act of untouchability.Gandhi also accused Uttarakhand BJP president Mahendra Bhatt of defending the ritual and questioned Prime Minister Modi’s silence.“PM Modi states that he belongs to every caste and is the prime minister of the country, but his party chief in Uttarakhand defends ‘shuddhikaran’,” Gandhi said.He said it was the responsibility of the Centre and the Uttarakhand government to ensure justice for Kharge.RAHUL WARNS OF CONGRESS ACTIONGandhi said the incident was not only about Kharge but reflected the discrimination faced by Dalits across the country.He cited other reported purification incidents involving Congress leader Tikaram Jully and Union minister Jitan Ram Manjhi. Gandhi alleged that attacks on Dalits became fiercer as they attained greater success and influence.“If it can happen to our president, if it can happen to such a senior person without any hesitation, imagine what would be happening to a four-year-old child in a school,” he said.Gandhi said the Congress would ensure action against those responsible even if the BJP governments at the Centre and in Uttarakhand failed to act.- EndsPublished By: Aprameya RaoPublished On: Aug 29, 2026 20:23 IST