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.

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday challenged Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi to remain in Parliament and participate in the discussion, as Home Minister Amit Shah prepares to respond to issues raised by the Congress leader.

Rijiju’s remarks came amid a continuing standoff between the government and the Opposition over recent student protests and the police action against demonstrators. The issue has repeatedly disrupted proceedings in Parliament, with the Opposition seeking answers from the government.

Rahul Gandhi has been demanding a response from Amit Shah on the matter. The government has now agreed to a debate, with the Home Minister expected to respond to the questions raised by the Opposition.

Rijiju asks Rahul Gandhi to stay for Shah’s response

In a social media post, Rijiju said Rahul Gandhi had been seeking a response from Amit Shah for several days.

He argued that since the Home Minister was now ready to answer the questions in detail, Rahul Gandhi should remain present in Parliament and take part in the discussion rather than leave.

The remarks came as the government and Opposition remained at odds over the handling of the student protests, with the issue becoming a major point of contention during the Monsoon Session.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Saturday took a swipe at Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi over his recent message on women’s freedom and empowerment, linking the Congress leader’s remarks to the long-pending debate over the Women’s Reservation Bill.

Rahul Gandhi, in a video posted on Instagram on Friday, spoke about the need to bring women “back into the conversation” and allow them to pursue what they want.

Responding to the video, Kiren Rijiju described the message as positive but suggested that it reflected a “change of heart” within the Congress.

Kiren Rijiju links Rahul Gandhi’s message to women’s quota

“Now, I hope Congress Party will support the Women’s Reservation Bill unconditionally,” Rijiju posted on X while reacting to Gandhi’s video.

Rijiju said Gandhi’s remarks appeared to represent a change in the Congress leader’s position on women.

“This seems to be a positive message from the Congress Party. There’s a visible change of heart in Shri Rahul Gandhi Ji about the Women,” the Parliamentary Affairs Minister said in his post.

He then used the opportunity to raise the issue of the Women’s Reservation Bill and urged the Congress to support it without conditions.

Congress, Centre differ over delimitation and women’s quota

The exchange comes against the backdrop of differences between the Congress and the Centre over the proposed delimitation exercise and its connection with the implementation of women’s reservation.

Congress and other opposition parties have been opposing the government’s proposed delimitation legislation and have called for the 33 per cent reservation for women to be implemented based on the current strength of Parliament.

The government has been seeking to increase the number of seats in Parliament and state Assemblies as part of the process for implementing the women’s quota. The 33 per cent reservation for women had earlier been passed unanimously by Parliament.

What Rahul Gandhi said about women’s freedom

Rahul Gandhi’s Friday Instagram video followed his response during a Thursday “Ask Me Anything” session, in which he was asked about young women fighting for their right to study.

Gandhi had said that “India’s women are our strength, our biggest asset” and expressed dissatisfaction with the way women are treated in the country, including in education and corporate systems.

In his subsequent video, Gandhi said the energy of Indian women was being restricted and that they were not always allowed to express themselves or imagine freely.

He argued that India could not fully succeed without women being able to express themselves.

Gandhi said women’s empowerment should not be limited to succeeding in business or politics. According to him, women should also be able to express their views at home and move freely on the streets.

He further spoke about women being able to question their parents, husbands, brothers and others, arguing that greater freedom from patriarchy and rigid control was necessary for India’s development.

The remarks subsequently drew Rijiju’s response, with the minister connecting Gandhi’s message on women’s empowerment to the political debate over the Women’s Reservation Bill.