Kharge raises Uttarakhand post-rally ‘purification’, Rajya Sabha chair seeks probe
Kharge said he is not making it a political issue, but a case under the Untouchability (Offences) Act should be filed and the accused should be arrested
Rajya Sabha chairman CP Radha Krishnan has directed the government to conduct a thorough inquiry into the alleged "purification of a site" following Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's remarks during a gathering in Uttarakhand. Kharge alleged that some "BJP [Bharatiya Janata Party] people" carried out the purification at Haldwani's Ram Lila Maidan, where he addressed the gathering. The BJP is currently in power in Uttarakhand, which is set to hold elections next year.
Kharge stated that he did not mention any religion and only referred to the issues faced by people. He emphasized that the incident is a case under the Untouchability (Offences) Act, which prohibits the practice of untouchability, and the guilty should be arrested. The Congress leader also mentioned that he has been in the House for years and never identified as a Scheduled Caste, Dalit, or as requiring protection.
Union minister and House leader JP Nadda condemned the incident and assured the House that an investigation will be conducted, and action will be taken. He objected to Kharge's usage of the term "you people" while referring to the incident. The Rajya Sabha chairman directed the government to investigate and punish the guilty, emphasizing that untouchability is a punishable offence and that the incident is painful not just for the Congress but for all of them.
Written by urgent.news from Hindustan Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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