Dehradun, Aug 29 (PTI) Congress workers on Saturday staged a protest outside the residence of Uttarakhand BJP president Mahendra Bhatt over his alleged support for a ‘shuddhikaran’ (purification) ceremony at the venue of a rally addressed by AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge in Haldwani.
Bhatt had reportedly said that the purification was carried out because the rally venue had been “polluted” by garbage and slogans that could not be raised at a religious place. He clarified that it was not related to Kharge’s caste.
Led by state Congress Scheduled Caste department chief Madan Lal and Dehradun city Congress president Jaswinder Singh Jogi, the protesters gathered near Bhatt’s residence in Yamuna Colony here but were stopped from proceeding by police barricades.
They raised slogans against Bhatt and demanded action against him for allegedly defending the purification ritual.
“Political views can be opposed in a democracy, but acts that divide society cannot be condoned,” Lal said.
State Congress president Ganesh Godiyal demanded that an FIR be registered against Bhatt, alleging that his remarks had exposed the Uttarakhand government and could fuel social discord.
“Despite Congress workers staging several protests and filing police complaints, no action had been taken in this matter. The Uttarakhand government stands completely exposed,” he said.
The alleged purification took place at Ramlila Maidan in Haldwani, where Kharge had addressed a gathering on August 8. PTI DPT RHL
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