Mallikarjun Kharge condemns ‘shuddhikaran’ ritual after his Uttarakhand visit; J.P. Nadda expresses regret in Rajya Sabha

On the final day of Parliament's Monsoon Session, Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge expressed his disapproval of a 'shuddhikaran' (purification) ceremony held at Haldwani's Ramlila Ground following his speech on August 8. Ganesh Godiyal, the Uttarakhand Congress president, alleged that Shri Ram Sena, the group that conducted the ritual, had connections to the BJP.

They justified the act, claiming it was because Kharge is a Dalit, and accused the BJP of promoting caste-based divisions. Rajya Sabha Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan allowed Kharge to speak on the incident, stating that if Kharge was insulted, it meant everyone was insulted.

Kharge expressed regret over the incident, stating that he had only talked about people's issues during his speech, and not about any religion. He questioned the conduct of the BJP in such matters, asking how democracy was being upheld. Meanwhile, Leader of the House J.P. Nadda condemned the 'shuddhikaran' ceremony and promised that an inquiry would be initiated into the matter, with action taken against those involved.

Nadda clarified that the BJP does not support such activities and assured that National President Nitin Nabin would take the claims seriously. Kharge demanded a case be registered under the Untouchability Act, saying that the BJP does not condone such acts of untouchability.