Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday invoked Lord Ram while attacking the BJP over the Ayodhya temple theft fund row, saying he should “open his eyes” and punish those who allegedly looted wealth in his name.
Speaking in Patna, Kharge also raised the alleged ‘suddhikaran’ (purification) incident targeting him in Haldwani, saying BJP president JP Nadda had promised an inquiry but an FIR was instead filed against Rahul Gandhi during his visit to the town. Kharge called for those involved in the ritual to be identified.
Kharge seeks action over ‘suddhikaran’ row
Kharge also said there would be no peace in the country as long as the RSS ideology persisted. “I am pained that socialist leaders like Nitish Kumar joined hands with people who believe in RSS ideology”, he added.
Referring to the alleged ‘suddhikaran’ (purification) incident targeting him, he said Nadda had promised an inquiry into the matter.
“We need to find those involved in carrying out ‘suddhikaran’,” Kharge said.
The controversy erupted after Kharge addressed a Congress rally at Ramlila Maidan in Haldwani on August 8. Members of a right-wing group reportedly conducted a purification ritual at the ground later, drawing criticism from Congress leaders.
Earlier. Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi order an FIR against those involved in the ‘suddhikaran’ (purification) of the Ramlila ground.
Gandhi also played a purported video showing the BJP’s Uttarakhand chief supporting the ritual and sought “justice” for the Congress president.
According to an earlier HT report, Kharge had raised the issue of the purification ritual at the Congress Working Committee meeting on August 19, expressing disappointment that some party leaders had not taken it up.
Demanding an FIR against those who conducted the ritual, Rahul Gandhi claimed that the BJP’s Uttarakhand unit chief had said that ‘suuddhikaran was the right thing to do’. He described the act as ‘illegal.
