A political controversy has erupted in Uttarakhand over an alleged ‘shuddhikaran’ or purification ritual at Haldwani’s Ramlila Ground following a public meeting addressed by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has strongly criticised the reported ritual, alleging that it amounted to an insult to Kharge and demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi order an FIR against those responsible. The BJP, however, has distanced itself from the incident. Uttarakhand minister and BJP leader Khajan Das said the party had no connection with the alleged purification ceremony and rejected the Congress’s accusations.

Das accused Congress of attempting to “mislead the Dalit community” over the issue. He said that if an organisation had conducted a havan or purification ritual at the venue, it was a matter concerning that organisation and not the BJP. The controversy dates back to August 8, when Kharge addressed a Congress rally at the Ramlila Ground in Haldwani. Reports of a purification ritual being conducted at the same venue later drew criticism from Congress leaders, who viewed the act as a derogatory gesture directed at the Congress president. Rahul Gandhi has also alleged that the incident reflects the mindset of the BJP and RSS.

He referred to a purported video in which Uttarakhand BJP chief was seen supporting the idea of ‘shuddhikaran’, and argued that the matter required legal action. Kharge himself had raised the issue at a Congress Working Committee meeting on August 19, questioning why some party leaders had not taken up the matter more strongly. The BJP's response has now intensified the political confrontation, with both sides presenting sharply different versions of the incident. While Congress is portraying the episode as an issue of dignity and caste discrimination, the BJP maintains that it had no role in the ritual and accuses Congress of using the controversy for political messaging. The dispute is likely to keep the spotlight on caste politics, political symbolism and Dalit representation, with both parties seeking to shape the narrative around the Haldwani controversy.