The political row over a purification ritual held at the venue where Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge addressed a rally in Haldwani has escalated further after Uttarakhand BJP leaders organised a ‘Buddhi-Shuddhi’ (intellect-cleansing) yajna for Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Dehradun.
The ritual was conducted by the BJP’s Scheduled Caste (SC) Morcha at the Panchayati Temple near the Clock Tower. A photograph of Rahul Gandhi was placed at the site as BJP workers performed prayers, accusing the Congress leader of promoting caste-based divisions and using misleading narratives for political gains ahead of the 2027 Uttarakhand Assembly elections.
The controversy originated after members of the Shri Ram Sena Dharmarth Seva Nyas Sangathan conducted a ‘shuddhikaran havan’ at the venue where Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge addressed a public rally at Haldwani.
Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, condemned the ritual, alleging that it reflected untouchability and caste discrimination against Kharge, who belongs to the Dalit community. Rahul Gandhi also demanded an FIR under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against those responsible.
The organisers and local BJP representatives, however, rejected the allegations. They claimed the ceremony was a cleanliness and religious exercise, carried out in response to political slogans that allegedly violated the sanctity of the Ramlila ground.
The dispute intensified after an FIR was registered against Gandhi in Haldwani following a complaint by a member of the Valmiki community, who accused him of portraying the ceremony as a caste issue.
The FIR triggered Congress protests across Uttarakhand, Delhi, Chandigarh and Karnataka. The latest BJP yajna has added another dramatic chapter to the escalating political confrontation.