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Kharge had also raised this issue in Parliament on 13 August. He said that a large number of people were present in the rally and he did not take the name of any community or religion. Despite this, after his speech, a havan was allegedly performed at the venue. Congress demanded action under SC/ST Act in the matter.

The controversy escalated further when Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi demanded registration of an FIR in this matter. During the press conference at the Congress headquarters on Saturday, Gandhi alleged that this incident shows the mentality of BJP-RSS in which Dalits are discriminated against. He also demanded Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure action in the matter.

Rahul Gandhi also questioned the silence of the Prime Minister, accusing Uttarakhand BJP President Mahendra Bhatt of defending the alleged ‘purification’. He said that if the BJP government at the Center and Uttarakhand does not take action, then Congress will take up this matter further.

What is the whole controversy? 6 big things

1. How did the controversy start? Mallikarjun Kharge had organized a Congress rally in Haldwani on 8 August. According to the Congress, two days later, a religious ritual was conducted at the same site in the name of ‘purification’.
2. What is Congress’s allegation? Congress says that due to Kharge being a Dalit, the venue was ‘purified’ after his program. The party is linking it to untouchability and insult to Dalits.
3. What did Rahul Gandhi demand? Rahul Gandhi has demanded registration of FIR against the people responsible under SC/ST Act. Linking it to the mentality of BJP-RSS, he asked the Prime Minister to intervene.
4. What does the organizer say? Girish Chandra Pandey, said to be the main organizer of the ritual, denied having any connection with the Kharge caste. He claims that after the rally, liquor bottles, paan stains, urine and garbage were found at the venue, so after cleaning, a yagya was performed to restore the ‘sanctity’ of the place.
5. What answer did BJP give? Rejecting Rahul Gandhi’s allegations, BJP accused Congress of using Dalits for political gains. In its reply, the party also mentioned Congress’s behavior with Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar and former Deputy Prime Minister Jagjivan Ram.
6. What does Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami have to say? Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that no BJP worker was involved in the purification. He claimed that some objectionable religious slogans were raised in the Congress rally and some religious organizations organized this program after that.

Increased rhetoric between BJP and Congress

The allegations and counter-allegations between BJP and Congress leaders on the matter have become increasingly intense. BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad accused Kharge of giving wrong information and said that the Modi government has worked for the respect and constitutional rights of Dalits. At the same time, national spokesperson Guru Prakash Paswan said, “Congress and Rahul Gandhi’s claim on Dalit respect is under question due to their own history and conduct. Congress today talks about respect for Kharge ji, but during the nomination of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in Wayanad, a picture raised questions, when Kharge was seen standing outside. Is this Dalit respect?”

Guru Prakash Paswan said, from Narayanasamy ji of Puducherry to Charanjit Singh Channi of Punjab, Kumari Selja of Haryana, Rajesh Ram of Bihar, G. of Karnataka. From Parameshwara to Mallikarjun Kharge at the Centre, several instances have raised questions about the respect and political behavior of Dalit leaders within the Congress. Even in history, serious questions have been raised regarding the behavior of Congress with Baba Saheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar and Babu Jagjivan Ram. Before giving a speech on Dalit respect, Congress should look in the mirror of its history and its conduct.

On the other hand, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said that calling an incident ‘purification’ or merely ‘cleanliness’ does not change its nature. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh also alleged that such incidents occur again and again in BJP ruled states and claimed political patronage was behind it.

However, the most important question in this entire controversy is whether the religious ritual held in Haldwani was actually for the purpose of cleaning the dirt after the rally and preparing the site for a religious event or was it to the Kharge caste. Organizers and BJP are calling it a cleanliness and religious ritual, while Congress is considering it as a discriminatory act against the Dalit leader. The allegations made in the case can be confirmed only after investigation.