Akhilesh Yadav Condemns Haldwani Purification Row, Recalls Similar Incidents
In New Delhi on Monday, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav joined the political row surrounding the alleged purification of a venue following a visit by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, stating that his own official residence and a temple had previously been washed with Ganga water by political opponents.
Recalling past incidents, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister stated that he and his party have faced similar actions on multiple occasions.
"We ourselves are victims; this has happened to us three times. In Kannauj, a temple was washed with Ganga water after our visit, and our own home was washed with Ganga water. We are positive and progressive people, and we would never do such a thing. We will take the State forward," Yadav said.
The controversy began at Haldwani’s Ramlila Maidan after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge addressed a political rally at the venue on August 8. Two days after the public meeting, members of the right-wing group Shri Ram Sena conducted a havan and sprinkled gangajal across the stage, terming it a purification exercise.
Kharge subsequently raised the incident in Parliament, demanding that the individuals responsible be arrested and booked under the Untouchability (Offences) Act. The Congress party strongly condemned the act, stating that it reflected an anti-Dalit mindset and breached constitutional protections against untouchability.
Organisers from Shri Ram Sena, along with local Bharatiya Janata Party representatives, maintained that the havan was not held because of Kharge’s caste. They stated that the ritual was performed because religious decorum had allegedly been violated at the Ramlila ground.
The situation developed further on Sunday when the Haldwani City Kotwali Police registered an FIR following a complaint regarding public statements made by Gandhi about the alleged purification ritual, also referred to as a shuddhikaran yajna.
Following the police action, a standoff took place on Monday as Congress leaders and workers, led by Leader of Opposition and MLA Yashpal Arya, staged a protest at the Circle Officer’s office in Haldwani to oppose the filing of the FIR.
The issue has sparked an ongoing political confrontation, with opposition figures questioning the practice while organisers and BJP representatives defend the ritual on religious grounds.
