Kharge upset over silence of Congress leaders on Haldwani ritual

New Delhi: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has expressed disappointment that several senior party leaders did not publicly condemn the alleged “purification” ritual conducted at a venue in Uttarakhand’s Haldwani after he addressed a public meeting there.

Kharge raised the issue during the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting on Wednesday, telling party colleagues that he felt hurt by their silence, particularly those who frequently receive media attention.

The ritual, described as a shuddhikaran havan, was conducted at Haldwani’s Ramlila Maidan two days after Kharge addressed a Congress rally there on August 8. Congress leaders have alleged that the organisers were linked to the BJP and that the ceremony reflected a casteist mindset because Kharge is a Dalit. The BJP has denied any connection with the event and distanced itself from it.

Kharge had also raised the matter in the Rajya Sabha, saying that he had not referred to any caste or religion during his speech and had only spoken about issues concerning the government. He said the ritual made him feel humiliated and reminded him of the pain of untouchability.

At the CWC meeting, Kharge reportedly said that many party leaders, including those he referred to as “good-looking people” who regularly get media space, had failed to speak out against the incident.

AICC general secretary K.C. Venugopal responded that the Congress had condemned the ritual and raised the issue publicly. However, those present at the meeting said Kharge’s reaction suggested that he was not satisfied with the party’s response.

Kharge did not name any leader. He also cautioned that some party leaders had been making statements and writing articles that did not always conform to the official Congress position.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Venugopal described the Haldwani incident as “unacceptable” and “condemnable”. He alleged that the episode exposed the mindset of the BJP.

The issue also prompted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to call for greater monitoring of how party leaders respond to matters concerning social justice, according to reports. He is said to have asked the party’s social media head, Supriya Shrinate, to prepare regular reports on leaders who amplify or fail to support the Congress’s official positions.

During the meeting, AICC in-charge of the National Students’ Union of India Kanhaiya Kumar reportedly urged the leadership not to allow groups such as the Cockroach Janta Party to occupy political space.

The Congress has maintained its distance from the CJP while extending support to student protests and linking them to concerns over employment. Without naming the organisation, the CWC resolution said sustained pressure from student groups and the united Opposition had forced the Education Minister to resign.

Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor also suggested that the word “bullying” in the draft resolution, used in reference to US pressure on India, be replaced. Although Kharge and others reportedly argued that the term was not unparliamentary, the final resolution used different wording.

“The Congress Working Committee is deeply concerned that the Modi government is sacrificing India’s agricultural and energy security, as well as its strategic sovereignty, in the face of American pressure,” the resolution said.

Rahul Gandhi, while discussing student and youth protests and his Chhatron Ki Goonj campaign, reportedly said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was now part of India’s past.

He disagreed, however, with senior leader Manish Tewari’s assessment that the anti-Mandal agitation of the 1990s was the last major student movement. Gandhi maintained that the Chhatron Ki Goonj campaign had received a strong response.

The CWC resolution later said the campaign was witnessing an “overwhelmingly positive response.”