A political dispute has erupted between the Congress and the BJP in Uttarakhand over a ‘shuddhikaran’ (purification) ceremony held at the Ramlila Ground in Haldwani after a rally addressed by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on August 8.

Uttarakhand Congress chief Ganesh Godiyal alleged that the ‘Shri Ram Sena’ group that conducted the ceremony was associated with the BJP. The BJP has strongly denied having any connection with the group.

Godiyal claimed that the purification ritual was conducted because Kharge belongs to the Dalit community. He accused the BJP of promoting divisions in society on the basis of caste and described the ceremony as a “crime against humanity”.

The Congress leader also questioned the Nainital senior superintendent of police over the alleged lack of action against the right-wing group. He said the incident reflected what he described as a fundamental ideological difference between the Congress and the BJP.

BJP rejects Congress allegations

The BJP rejected the allegations and accused the Congress of targeting the saffron party for political gain.

BJP state spokesperson and Cabinet Minister Khajan Das said certain slogans were raised during Kharge’s rally at the Ramlila Ground that, according to him, hurt the sentiments of the Sanatan community.

Das said the Ramlila Ground has religious significance and claimed that people were angered by the chanting of slogans associated with another religion at the venue.

The BJP also rejected the Congress’s claim that the purification ceremony was linked to Kharge’s caste. Das, in turn, accused the Congress of disrespecting Dalit leaders, naming former Congress president Sitaram Kesri, Babu Jagjivan Ram and Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar.

The controversy has since led to a political exchange between the two parties, with the Congress questioning the motive behind the ceremony and the BJP maintaining that the ritual was not connected to Kharge’s caste.

A 5.5-magnitude earthquake struck Leh in Ladakh early Thursday morning, according to the National Centre for Seismology (NCS).

The earthquake was recorded at 6:05:15 AM IST on August 13, 2026, with the epicentre located at 36.881°N latitude and 74.402°E longitude. The NCS said the earthquake occurred at a depth of 10 kilometres.

There were no immediate reports of casualties or major structural damage following the tremor.

Earthquake recorded at shallow depth

The NCS reported the earthquake as a shallow event, with its depth recorded at 10 kilometres.

Earthquakes are classified according to how deep their focus is beneath the Earth’s surface. According to US Geological Survey (USGS) data cited in the source, earthquakes can occur from the Earth’s surface to about 700 kilometres below it, with the range divided into shallow, intermediate and deep earthquakes.

Shallow earthquakes can produce stronger shaking at the surface because seismic waves have less distance to travel before reaching the ground. This can increase the potential for structural damage and casualties, depending on factors including the earthquake’s magnitude and local conditions.

The call for a Karnataka bandh over the Cauvery water issue has received support from some farmer organisations, but several groups have chosen not to participate in a complete shutdown, allowing buses, schools and other services to function normally.

The Federation of Kannada organisations is divided over the bandh call against the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) order directing Karnataka to release 12,000 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu for 15 days.

Federation president Vatal Nagaraj has maintained his support for the bandh. However, several organisations associated with the federation have backed away from the shutdown while extending what they described as “moral support” to Nagaraj’s protest.

Praveen Shetty, who heads one faction of the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, said his organisation supports Nagaraj’s struggle but is not in a position to support the bandh.

Transport services to operate normally

The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) and Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) employees’ association have not extended support to the bandh, according to sources in the state transport department.

Private bus associations, transporters and autorickshaw associations have also distanced themselves from the shutdown.

Street vendors are expected to continue their usual operations. Government and private schools will also function normally, as the organisations involved have largely extended moral rather than direct support to the bandh.

Farmers’ groups back the bandh

The Raitha Hitarakshana Samithi and some other farmers’ organisations have extended their support to the bandh.

Sunanda of the Raitha Hitarakshana Samithi said the organisation supports the strike, arguing that Karnataka has been subjected to injustice over the Cauvery water issue.

Vatal Nagaraj and organisations supporting him are opposing the CWMA’s direction to release 12,000 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu for 15 days. The release began on Wednesday morning.

The Karnataka government has argued that the state’s situation does not favour releasing such a large quantity of water to Tamil Nadu, citing inadequate rainfall, particularly in the Cauvery region.