Dehradun: A political slugfest erupted between the BJP and the Congress here on Wednesday over a ‘shuddhikaran’ (purification) ceremony held at the Ramlila Ground in Haldwani following a rally addressed by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on August 8.
Uttarakhand Congress chief Ganesh Godiyal alleged that the ‘Shri Ram Sena’ group that performed the ceremony was associated with the BJP, a charge vehemently denied by the saffron party.
Godiyal claimed that the ritual was performed because Kharge belongs to the Dalit community, and accused the BJP of creating divisions in society in the name of caste.
Describing the ritual as a crime against humanity, the state Congress chief claimed that this highlighted the “fundamental difference in ideology between the Congress and the BJP”.
He also questioned the Nainital senior superintendent of police for not taking action against the right-wing group.
The BJP, however, denied any ties to the group, and accused the Congress of maligning the saffron party for political gain.
BJP state spokesperson and Cabinet Minister Khajan Das claimed that certain slogans were raised during Kharge’s rally at the Ramlila Ground which, he said, hurt the sentiments of the Sanatan community.
He added that the Ramlila Ground is a place of religious significance, and people were angered by the chanting of slogans related to another religion there.
The BJP also dismissed the Congress’s allegation that the purification incident was related to Kharge’s caste, with Das accusing the grand-old party of disrespecting Dalit leaders, such as Sitaram Kesri, Babu Jagjivan Ram, and Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar. PTI DHM KSI KSI
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