Sudhikaran row: BJP SC Morcha performs ‘buddhi-shuddhi’ ritual for Rahul Gandhi
A political controversy has erupted in Uttarakhand following a purification ritual performed at a site where Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge held a rally. The BJP SC Morcha responded by performing a 'buddhi-shuddhi' ritual for Rahul Gandhi, leading to protests and legal complaints from both sides.
Why it matters
The incident highlights the intensifying political polarization and the use of religious symbolism in Indian electoral discourse, often leading to communal tensions.
NEW DELHI: The political row over the alleged purification ritual at Haldwani's Ramlila Ground following Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's rally last month has intensified, with the BJP Scheduled Caste Morcha performing a ‘buddhi-shuddhi’ ritual for Congress leader Rahul Gandhi at Panchayati Temple in Dehradun.The development came as Uttarakhand Congress chief Ganesh Godiyal led a massive protest march towards the state Secretariat, condemning the alleged ‘purification’ ritual conducted after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's August 8 rally in Haldwani.Accompanied by AICC co-in-charges Surendra Sharma and Manoj Yadav and hundreds of Congress workers, Godiyal attempted to gherao the Secretariat. Heavy police deployment was made to disperse the protesters, while several workers were detained as they raised slogans.The controversy centres on allegations that a ‘suddhikaran yajna’ was conducted at Haldwani's Ramlila Ground after Kharge's address.
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