POLITICAL ROW: Haldwani Stage Purification Sparks Dalit Debate After Kharge Rally

A
f esh
political
co t ove sy
has
e upted
i
Utta akha d& squo;s
Haldwa i
followi g
the
pu ificatio
itual
co ducted
at
the
Ramleela
g ou d
afte
Co g ess
p eside t
Mallika ju
Kha ge
add essed
a
pa ty
ally
the e
o
August
8.
The
ce emo y
has
t igge ed
a
sha p
excha ge
betwee
the
Co g ess
a d
Hi du
o ga isatio s,
with
the
oppositio
pa ty
desc ibi g
the
act
as
a
i sult
to
Dalits
a d
a
aff o t
to
the
Co stitutio .
Co g ess
has
a ou ced
a
atio wide
Satyag aha
agai st
what
it
calls
disc imi ato y
t eatme t
of
its
pa ty
p eside t.
Kha ge
said
he
did
ot
wa t
to
tu
the
i cide t
i to
a
political
issue
but
alleged
that
he
was
t eated
like
a
u touchable.
The
Co g ess
has
also
dema ded
a
apology
f om
P ime
Mi iste
Na e d a
Modi,
while
seve al
oppositio
pa ties
have
c iticised
the
i cide t.
The
co t ove sy
has
ow
take
a
ew
tu
afte
a
Dalit
leade
associated
with
the
Sh i
Ram
Se a
Dha ma th
Seva
Nyas
said
he
pe so ally
pa ticipated
i
the
pu ificatio
ce emo y.
A kit
Pal
claimed
that
he
belo gs
to
a
Dalit
family
a d
i sisted
that
the
itual
was
pe fo med
to
pu ify
the
g ou d,
ot
a y
i dividual.
Acco di g
to
Pal,
the
ce emo y
was
o ga ised
because
sloga s
allegedly
aised
du i g
the
Co g ess
eve t
we e
co side ed
offe sive
to
Hi du
se time ts.
He
claimed
that
videos
i dicated
sloga s
associated
with
Islam
we e
aised
at
the
ve ue,
which
he
a gued
was
i app op iate
because
the
g ou d
also
houses
a
old
temple
dedicated
to
Lo d
Ram.
The
competi g
claims
have
t a sfo med
the
co t ove sy
i to
a
wide
political
debate
ove
caste,
eligious
exp essio
a d
the
use
of
public
cultu al
spaces.
Co g ess
co ti ues
to
f ame
the
i cide t
as
a
i sult
to
Dalit
dig ity,
while
o ga ise s
of
the
itual
de y
ta geti g
a y
i dividual
a d
mai tai
that
the
g ou d
alo e
was
the
focus
of
the
ce emo y.

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