BJP Workers Perform Purification Ritual at Venue After Kharge's Speech; 'It Humiliated Me,' Says Kharge

New Delhi: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has made a serious allegation that BJP workers purified the stage from which he delivered a speech. Kharge said the purification was carried out because he is a Dalit and alleged that untouchability still exists in the country. Kharge had addressed a rally at the Ramlila Maidan in Haldwani on August 8.

“In that public meeting, I did not mention the name of any caste or religion, I only spoke about the problems of the people. But with great sorrow, I have to say that after my speech, BJP people performed a havan there and carried out the purification of that stage. Is this the way Democracy works? How can people who do this protect the Constitution?,” Kharge said in the Rajya Sabha.

Kharge said he did not want to turn the incident into a political issue. He said he had been a member of the House for many years and that he belonged to a Scheduled Caste and was a Dalit. However, he had never asked anyone to help or protect him. He said he had the strength to fight and would continue to do so.

At the same time, Kharge said he had been insulted through the practice of untouchability and the purification of the stage.

Meanwhile, Union Minister J P Nadda denied the allegation that BJP workers were behind it. Rajya Sabha Chairman C P Radhakrishnan said insulting Kharge was equivalent to insulting everyone in the House.

The latest episode involving disrespect shown toward Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge has added to a growing list of incidents targeting individuals from Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and minority communities since the BJP came to power.

Observers have pointed out that Kharge, a senior and widely respected political figure, being subjected to such treatment by the BJP and Sangh Parivar raises troubling questions about the experiences of ordinary citizens from these communities across the country. If a leader of his stature and standing can face such disrespect, critics argue, it reflects poorly on the situation faced by the general public belonging to similar backgrounds.