Police detained members of the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) during a protest against a reported ‘shuddhikaran’ (purification) havan conducted at Ramlila Maidan following a Congress rally addressed by party president Mallikarjun Kharge. The NSUI members were protesting the reported ritual and demanding action over the incident. The controversy had earlier reached the Rajya Sabha, where Kharge raised the issue and called for an inquiry. The BJP-led Uttarakhand government has said the matter would be investigated. The incident has triggered a political row between the Congress and BJP over the alleged purification ritual.
