Parliament erupts over 'shuddhikaran' event after Kharge rally, Nadda reacts
Parliament erupts over 'shuddhikaran' event after Kharge rally, Nadda reacts
M.U.H
13/08/202638
The Rajya Sabha witnessed a massive uproar after Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said a 'shuddhikaran' (purification) ceremony was held at the venue where he addressed a rally in BJP-ruled Uttarakhand. As soon as Kharge raised the issue, Union Minister JP Nadda called the incident "unfortunate" and asserted that the BJP doesn't subscribe to such activities.
The issue has already created a political stir in Uttarakhand, where the Congress and the BJP have been trading barbs over the ritual at Haldwani's Ram Lila Ground. It was held by a right-wing outfit two days after Kharge, a Dalit, addressed a public rally at the venue. On Thursday, the last day of the Monsoon session of Parliament, the issue echoed in the Rajya Sabha.
WHAT MALLIKARJUN KHARGE SAID IN PARLIAMENT?
As the proceedings kicked off, the Congress chief alleged that BJP workers performed a "havan" and carried out a "purification" of the stage from which he addressed a rally on August 8.
"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," Kharge said.
'BJP DOESN'T SUBSCRIBE TO SUCH ACTS'
Amid loud sloganeering by Congress MPs, the Rajya Sabha Speaker sought to pacify Kharge, emphasising that there was no bigger sin in the world than "untouchability".
"It should be condemned... Those who have done it should be caught. There is no two opinions on this," he said.
Union Minister JP Nadda sought to distance the BJP from the incident. He assured Kharge that the matter would be investigated.
"Please don't say repeatedly that we (BJP) did. The BJP does not subscribe to such activities," Nadda said.
"I assure you that whatever happened there will certainly be investigated. The (BJP) national president will look into this. It is a matter of great regret for all of us that your sentiments were hurt," he further said.
To this, Kharge stressed that he wasn't blaming anyone for the incident. "I am saying register a case, arrest them...This is what we demand," he said.
WHAT IS THE CONTROVERSY ALL ABOUT?
The issue, however, has turned into a major political controversy in Uttarakhand.
A video of the 'purification' ceremony has also gone viral on social media. It shows a priest conducting a havan amid chanting of Vedic mantras.
In another video, one of the organisers says that the venue holds religious significance and should be reserved strictly for cultural, not political, events. Defending the ritual, Girsh Chandra Pandey, a member of the outfit, said certain slogans raised during Kharge's rally "sounded like Islamic slogans", according to a TOI report.
Uttarakhand Congress chief Ganesh Godiyal alleged that the ritual was performed by the Shri Ram Sena group, which he claimed was associated with the BJP. The BJP has denied the charge.
Godiyal claimed that the ritual was performed because Kharge belonged to the Dalit community, and accused the BJP of creating caste divisions in society.
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi went as far as to demand an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "This mindset clearly demonstrates the ideologies of the BJP and the RSS. This must be repudiated," Priyanka said.
The incident also received flak from the RJD, which blamed the BJP for nurturing such "casteist bigots". "The barbaric progeny of Manu simply cannot stomach the fact that a Dalit is one of the country's foremost leaders," RJD spokesperson Priyanka Bharti tweeted.
The BJP, however, denied any connection to the organisers of the ceremony.
However, Uttarakhand minister and BJP spokesperson Khajan Das alleged that certain slogans raised during Kharge's rally might have "hurt the sentiments" of the Sanatan community, PTI reported.
He stressed that the Ramlila Ground was a place of religious significance, and people might have been angered by the chanting of slogans related to another religion there.
