"Nadda's statement of regret in RS mere eyewash": Venugopal after Uttarakhand BJP Chief defends Haldwani purification ritual

In an X post, responding to reports that Uttarakhand BJP Chief Mahendra Bhatt has defended the 'purification' ritual performed at Kharge's rally venue, he questioned, "It was evident from day 1 that Union Minister @JPNadda's statement of regret in the Rajya Sabha was a mere eyewash. If Nadda truly meant that the BJP doesn't subscribe to such acts, how is the BJP's own Uttarakhand Chief defending the so-called 'shuddhikaran' that their workers did after Kharge ji's event?"

https://x.com/kcvenugopalmp/status/2092907816105447659

Furthermore, he challenged the BJP to take strict action against the Uttarakhand party Chief if there was any truth in Nadda's statement.

"The BJP's true casteist nature keeps rearing its ugly head, no matter how much cover-up their leaders attempt. If there is even an iota of truth in Nadda's statement in Parliament, they must sack Mahendra Bhatt and take strict criminal action against those who insulted Kharge," he said.

The controversy stems from an August 8 rally in Haldwani, organised ahead of the 2027 Uttarakhand Assembly elections, after which members of a right-wing group performed a purification ritual at the venue. The incident drew widespread condemnation from the Congress leadership:

The Haldwani row gained national traction after Mallikarjun Kharge raised the issue in the Rajya Sabha, linking the ritual to his identity as a Dalit leader and describing it as an attempt to project him as "untouchable".

Kharge said, "It pains me to say that I had delivered a speech at the Ramlila Maidan in Haldwani, where lakhs of people were present. I did not mention the name of any community or religion there; I only spoke about the problems faced by 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 alleged.

Kharge also took to X to clarify that he did not want the incident politicised, noting that while he has the resilience to fight, the episode left him feeling deeply humiliated. He called for strict legal repercussions, demanding that a case be filed under the Untouchability Act against those who conducted the ritual.

This came after Mahendra Bhatt defended the purification ceremony, stating that it was not targeted at any particular person or community and was related to the alleged situation at the venue of Kharge's rally.

In a video shared by Khera, Bhatt said, "The opposition has no issues or real topics to raise. They don't have any program or agenda. They only bring up matters that degrade and pollute society. Just imagine, Kharge ji's (Mallikarjun Kharge) rally takes place in Haldwani at the Ramlila Maidan. Dirt was spread there, and slogans were raised that are completely inappropriate for such a place. If a 'purification' is done because of the dirt spread there, it is not targeted at any specific person belonging to a Scheduled Caste. I can say that Congress members are only mocking their own leader. In Uttarakhand, the kind of acts that took place that day in Devbhoomi should never have happened." (ANI)