Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav opened up about his personal journey with ‘purification’ rituals
Kharge raises Haldwani ‘purification’ issue in Parliament
Yadav’s remarks came amid the ongoing controversy over the alleged purification ritual at Haldwani’s Ramlila Maidan after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge addressed a political rally there on August 8, news agency ANI reported. Because religious decorum had allegedly been violated at the Ramlila ground, they said the ritual was performed.
We will take the State forward,” the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said. The incident triggered a political response from the Congress, which condemned the act and alleged that it reflected an “anti-Dalit mindset”. “We ourselves are victims; this has happened to us three times. In Kannauj, a temple was washed with Ganga water after our visit, and our own home was washed with Ganga water. We are positive and progressive people, and we would never do such a thing. Kharge later raised the issue in Parliament and demanded that those responsible be arrested and booked under the Untouchability (Offences) Act.
NEW DELHI: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday joined the political row over the alleged ‘purification’ of a venue after a Congress leader’s visit, recalling that a temple in Kannauj and even his official residence had also been washed with Ganga water by political opponents after his visits.
A tense standoff followed on Monday after Congress leaders and workers, led by Leader of Opposition and MLA Yashpal Arya, staged a protest at the Haldwani Circle Officer’s office against the filing of the FIR.