&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "'Is this the way in a democracy?'- Row in parliament over 'shuddhikaran' in Haldwani following Kharge rally")
The last day of the monsoon session was marked by pandemonium and intense political friction after Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said that a purification ceremony, or “shuddhikaran”, was reportedly held at Haldwani’s Ramlila Ground after the Congress president addressed a rally there on August 8. The ritual was held by the far-right outfit Shri Ram Sena, which had an alleged link to the BJP, according to Uttarakhand President Ganesh Godiyal.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge belongs to the Dalit community. A video circulating on social media showed a priest performing Havan because, as Kharge is Dalit, he supposedly defiled the place. In another video, one of the organisers, Girsh Chandra Pandey, seemed to be saying that the place holds religious importance and that Kharge had raised slogans which sounded like “Islamic slogans”. Kharge reportedly rejected the existence of Ram, so he is an anti-Hindu man.
"There were lakhs of people present at the time. I did not name any community or religion. I only spoke about the problems faced by the people there. But after my speech, BJP workers performed a havan," said Kharge. “Is this the way in a democracy? How are you protecting the Constitution? I am the LoP... I never wanted to politicise these issues.”
BJP President JP Nadda called it an "unfortunate" incident and claimed that the party does not subscribe to these activities. “We in BJP do not endorse such acts. We do not know who was behind this. But we will find it out,” said Nadda before the house was adjourned on Thursday.
