Haldwani Purification Row: Priyank Kharge Says ‘Going Against RSS Is Not Good for BJP’

Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge on Saturday stepped up his attack on the BJP over the Haldwani ‘purification’ row, alleging that the party has been reluctant to act because “going against the RSS is not good for them”. His remarks came after Bengaluru Police registered a Zero FIR against Uttarakhand BJP leaders and others over the controversial ritual.

Kharge said the incident in Uttarakhand was against the Constitution and argued that authorities should have registered an FIR as soon as a complaint was submitted.

“What has happened in Uttarakhand is against Constitution,” Kharge told ANI. He alleged that the Uttarakhand government, the Centre and the Union Home Ministry should have taken action but failed to do so because of what he described as the “RSS mindset”.

What is the Haldwani purification controversy?

The controversy began after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge addressed a public rally at Ramlila Ground in Haldwani on August 8. Congress leaders later alleged that a ‘Shuddhikaran’ ritual was conducted at the venue after the rally and claimed that it was linked to Kharge's Dalit identity.Mallikarjun Kharge had raised the issue in the Rajya Sabha on August 13. BJP leader and Leader of the House JP Nadda had said the BJP did not support such an activity and promised that the allegation would be investigated. Kharge subsequently wrote to Nadda on September 3, questioning why no FIR had been registered even 24 days after the incident.The BJP and Uttarakhand government have rejected the caste-based interpretation of the incident. Organisers said the havan was conducted because the stage was allegedly left dirty after the rally, while Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said BJP workers were not involved.

Bengaluru Police register Zero FIR

The latest development came on Friday, when Vidhana Soudha Police in Bengaluru registered a Zero FIR based on a complaint filed by T R Ramappa, former vice-chairman of the Scheduled Tribes Department cell of the Adivasi Congress.The complaint named Uttarakhand BJP president Mahendra Bhatt and others. It alleged that the purification ritual conveyed the message that the venue had become “impure” because of Kharge's presence and his Scheduled Caste background.The case has been registered under provisions of the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955, the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. As it is a Zero FIR, the complaint can be registered irrespective of territorial jurisdiction and will be forwarded to the appropriate authorities in Uttarakhand for investigation.

BJP has denied the allegation

The BJP has maintained that the purification ritual was not connected to Kharge's caste. Organisers claimed that the stage had been left dirty after the political meeting and that the religious ritual was intended to restore its sanctity.Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has also denied BJP involvement. The BJP has separately accused the Congress of giving a caste angle to the episode for political purposes.The controversy has now expanded into a broader political confrontation, with Congress leaders demanding action over the alleged ritual and the BJP defending its position while questioning the Congress's interpretation of the incident.The Zero FIR is now expected to be transferred to Uttarakhand for further investigation. The investigation will have to establish the circumstances behind the ritual and whether the allegations made in the complaint are substantiated.MP/Chhattisgarh relevance: No direct Madhya Pradesh or Chhattisgarh connection is evident in the latest development, so no regional angle has been forced into the report.