Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], August 15 : Congress MP Manickam Tagore on Saturday condemned the alleged shuddhikaran (purification) ritual conducted at the Ramlila Ground in Haldwani, Uttarakhand, following a public rally addressed by All India Congress Committee (AICC) President and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge.
Tagore described the act as a manifestation of "hate-based politics" and an insult to the constitutional dignity of a senior national leader.
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:
"Hate-based politics is the root cause of untouchability. Mallikarjun Kharge is not an ordinary person. He is the president of the All India Congress and the Leader of the Opposition. Yet, such an insult has been meted out to him," said Tagore.
Tagore linked the party's ongoing political push to Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra, emphasising that the Congress remains steadfast in countering divisive agendas:
"Rahul Gandhi had undertaken the Bharat Jodo Yatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir to fight against hate politics. Our fight against hate will continue," he added.
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".
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi slammed the BJP-RSS, accusing them of perpetuating a "Manuvadi mindset" and violating constitutional principles.
The BJP denied any link to the organisers of the ritual, with Union Minister J.P. Nadda stating in Parliament that the ruling party does not support such actions.
Shifting focus to regional developments, Tagore also hailed the Congress party's new political arrangement in Tamil Nadu, calling the alliance with the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), led by actor-turned-politician Vijay, a historic step.
Currently, Congress is in alliance with the single largest party, TVK, in the Tamil Nadu assembly. Congress had broken away from its alliance with the DMK after the conclusion of the assembly elections. The Congress won 5 seats in the assembly.