{
  "id": 3802805,
  "title": "BJP’s ‘casteist nature’ exposed by Haldwani ritual defence, says Congress",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/bjps-casteist-nature-exposed-by-haldwani-ritual-defence-says-congress",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-27T19:26:41.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Hindu",
    "slug": "the-hindu",
    "url": "https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/bjps-casteist-nature-exposed-by-haldwani-ritual-defence-says-congress/article71397175.ece"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Congress party accused the BJP's Uttarakhand unit president, Mahendra Bhatt, of defending a purification ritual held in Haldwani after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's rally, sparking allegations of the ruling party's disregard for the \"untouchability\" legislation. Bhatt defended the venue as polluted due to inappropriate slogans, ignoring opposition criticism. Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal stated that Union Minister J.P. Nadda's regretful statement in the Rajya Sabha was \"a mere eyewash.\" Venugopal expressed concern that the BJP's true casteist nature would continue to surface despite any cover-up efforts. Pawan Khera, the Congress media and publicity department head, added that the BJP's Uttarakhand chief justified the ritual, emphasizing that discrimination flows through the RSS-BJP like blood. The Congress demanded strict criminal action against those involved in the insult of Kharge ji and questioned whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi would take action against Bhatt.",
  "summary": "Uttarakhand unit chief of the BJP Mahendra Bhatt had said the venue had been ‘polluted’ by slogans that were not appropriate for a religious place, dismissing the Opposition’s criticism of the ritual",
  "key_points": [
    "BJP's Mahendra Bhatt defends Haldwani purification ritual, ignoring untouchability laws",
    "Congress demands criminal action against those involved in insulting Mallikarjun Kharge",
    "Congress alleges BJP's true casteist nature will surface despite cover-up attempts"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}