Chaos once again erupted in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, the final day of the Monsoon Session, after Congress president and Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge alleged that a ‘shuddikaran’ ceremony was conducted following his address at a rally in Haldwani, Uttarakhand, on August 8.
Kharge raised the issue during Zero Hour and alleged that the ceremony was held because he is a Dalit. He accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of creating an atmosphere in which people from marginalised communities have no place, while stressing that he did not want to turn the incident into a political controversy.
Kharge said he had addressed the Haldwani rally to highlight issues affecting local people and maintained that he had never sought favours or special treatment because of his social background.
“I don't want to make it a political issue,” Kharge said, adding that he had been a parliamentarian for several years and had never “begged in front of anyone” simply because he was a Dalit. He described the alleged incident as an insult and demanded that those responsible be arrested.
The allegation triggered a sharp reaction from the treasury benches. Rajya Sabha Leader of the House and Union Health Minister JP Nadda assured Kharge that the matter would be investigated and that strict action would follow if anyone was found guilty.
Nadda said the BJP did not support such practices and expressed sadness over the alleged incident. However, he urged Kharge not to politicise the matter or sensationalise it.
“We will investigate this. Whoever has done this, it is wrong. If anyone is found guilty, then action will be taken,” Nadda said, while asserting that the BJP could not be held responsible for the alleged act without an investigation.
Kharge, however, continued to press his allegations, leading to further disruption in the House. Rajya Sabha Chairman CP Radhakrishnan then intervened and sought to bring the situation under control.
Radhakrishnan termed the matter extremely serious and said such an incident should be condemned irrespective of political affiliations or ideology. He made it clear that there was no justification for conducting any purification ceremony and called for those responsible to be identified and punished.
“There is no need to purify it. Those who did it, it would be investigated and they should be caught. They must be punished,” the Chairman said, urging both Kharge and Nadda to cooperate and allow the House to function.
The confrontation came as Parliament's Monsoon Session, which began on July 20, reached its scheduled conclusion on Thursday. The session has been marked by repeated disruptions and sharp exchanges between the Opposition and the government over several contentious issues.
The Haldwani controversy added another politically sensitive issue to the final day's proceedings, bringing questions of caste discrimination, political accountability and public conduct into the centre of the Rajya Sabha debate.
While Kharge demanded accountability over the alleged ‘shuddikaran’ ceremony, the government sought to distance itself from the incident and promised an investigation. The Chairman's intervention underscored the broader concern in the House that the issue should be dealt with through an inquiry and action against those found responsible, rather than becoming another cause for prolonged parliamentary disruption.
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