Amid Naresh Rane’s remarks, Amruta Fadnavis says Garba should be inclusive; Congress backs ‘Bhabhiji’

The recent "purification" ritual held at Ramlila Maidan in Haldwani, Uttarakhand, has sparked controversy and led both the BJP and Congress to intensify their efforts to secure the Dalit vote ahead of the state Assembly elections in February 2027. The BJP's national president, Nitin Nabin, has accused the Congress of attempting to politicize the incident and has vowed to win all SC-reserved Assembly seats in the state.

Meanwhile, the Congress has emphasized its historical support for Dalit icons and questioned the BJP's record on the issue. The Haldwani controversy has broader implications, as both parties believe it could impact Dalit voters in other states, particularly Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, where the SC vote is crucial due to the high proportion of SC-reserved constituencies.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Indian Express's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.