On August 8, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge held a rally and addressed the public at the Ramleela ground in Haldwani, Uttarakhand. Following this, two days later (August 10), members of a right-wing organization called the 'Shri Ram Sena Dharmarth Seva Nyas Sangathan' performed rituals and lit a 'havan' (sacred fire) at the ground with the aim of purifying it. Reports say they justified the act by claiming that some of the slogans raised at Kharge's meeting sounded like 'Islamic slogans.'
In this context, speaking in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday (August 13), the final day of the Parliament’s monsoon session, Mallikarjun Kharge said, “I have never wanted to make this a political issue. As someone who has been a Member of Parliament for many years, I have never sought sympathy or protection by saying that I am from a Scheduled Caste or that I am a Dalit. I have the strength to fight, and I do fight.
At the Ramleela ground in Haldwani, where lakhs of people had gathered, I spoke only about the government’s actions, without mentioning any community or religion. But after my speech, you tried to humiliate me by cleaning the stage and performing a “purification ritual.” Is this proper in a democratic country? Is this how you will protect the Constitution?” he asked angrily.

Responding to Kharge’s allegation in Parliament, Union Minister J.P. Nadda said, “This is a very unfortunate incident. This is a sad event not just for the Congress, but for all of us. The BJP never supports such acts. An investigation into this incident will certainly be conducted, and appropriate action will be taken. We deeply regret that your feelings have been hurt,” he said.
Speaking further, Kharge said, ``Those who cleaned the stage should be booked under the Prevention of Atrocities Act and immediately arrested and jailed," he demanded.
Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan said, ``If untouchability is not a sin, then nothing else in this world is a sin. Regardless of party or ideology, we all condemn untouchability.
No one here needs to be glorified. There is no disagreement that those who have committed wrongdoing should be investigated and punished," he said.
Speaking to reporters outside the Parliament complex, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi said, "This mindset clearly reflects the ideology of the BJP and RSS organizations. Prime Minister Modi should apologize for this," she said.
Similarly, Karnataka Home Minister and Kharge’s son Priyank Kharge, on his social media page, asked, "If this is the situation for the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, who has been in public life for more than 50 years, what message does this send to the millions of Dalits who face caste discrimination every day?"
