Mallikarjun Kharge voiced his deep disappointment to the Congress Working Committee (CWC) over the perceived lack of support from senior party colleagues following a 'purification' incident after his speech in Haldwani, Uttarakhand. As a Dalit leader, Kharge expressed being 'hurt' by the absence of public condemnation from many senior leaders regarding the event, where a stage he had used was reportedly 'purified' by 'Shri Ram Sena'. He had previously raised the issue in the Rajya Sabha, questioning the ritual as an affront to democratic values and the Constitution.

Mallikarjun Kharge voiced his deep disappointment to the Congress Working Committee (CWC) over the perceived lack of support from senior party colleagues following a 'purification' incident after his speech in Haldwani, Uttarakhand. As a Dalit leader, Kharge expressed being 'hurt' by the absence of public condemnation from many senior leaders regarding the event, where a stage he had used was reportedly 'purified' by 'Shri Ram Sena'. He had previously raised the issue in the Rajya Sabha, questioning the ritual as an affront to democratic values and the Constitution.

Mallikarjun Kharge voiced his deep disappointment to the Congress Working Committee (CWC) over the perceived lack of support from senior party colleagues following a 'purification' incident after his speech in Haldwani, Uttarakhand. As a Dalit leader, Kharge expressed being 'hurt' by the absence of public condemnation from many senior leaders regarding the event, where a stage he had used was reportedly 'purified' by 'Shri Ram Sena'. He had previously raised the issue in the Rajya Sabha, questioning the ritual as an affront to democratic values and the Constitution.

Mallikarjun Kharge did not hold his emotions back over the lack of support he felt over the purification row when the Congress Working Committee met on Wednesday, a news report said. The Congress president made it clear that he expected more from his senior colleagues and that he was "hurt" by the lack of solidarity, the report said.

A stage in Uttarakhand's Haldwani was "purified" by 'Shri Ram Sena' after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, a Dalit, addressed a gathering there on August 8.

While Kharge stopped short of naming any CWC member in particular, his body language suggested that he was upset by the way senior party leaders reacted to the development, NDTV said in a report. According to the report, he categorically told the CWC that he was "hurt" that many of them didn't find it necessary to condemn the episode in public and offer him support.

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha following the incident, Kharge said he had not referred to any particular community or religion in his speech and had only raised issues concerning the people.

"But after my speech, people associated with the BJP carried out a ‘purification’ ritual of that stage. You may have read about this in the newspapers. Is this the way things should happen in a democracy? How are you protecting the Constitution?” Kharge asked. Responding to the allegation, Leader of the House and BJP president J.P. Nadda condemned the reported incident and asserted that the BJP does not endorse such practices.

Nadda called the alleged incident regrettable and said the BJP would investigate Kharge’s claim. The Congress leader later said he did not want to turn the incident into a political issue. Recalling his long tenure in Parliament, Kharge said he had never sought special treatment by invoking his identity as an SC or Dalit member.

“I have been in this House for many years, but I have never stood before anyone and pleaded for help by saying that I am an SC or a Dalit. I have the strength to fight, and I fight. But when you practise untouchability against me, you insult and humiliate me,” he said.

While meeting the press later in the day, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh, who was at the press conference, demanded an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the country over the "shudhikaran" in Uttarakhand after Kharge's programme there.

Kharge also questioned the "silence" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the alleged theft of Ram temple donations and demanded that the PM apologise for it and answer to the people.

TAGS