Haldwani Ramlila Ground Row: Dhami Accuses Congress Of Divisive Caste Politics

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Saturday accused the Congress of pursuing caste-based politics amid a controversy over the alleged “purification” of the Ramlila Maidan in Haldwani following a rally addressed by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. Speaking at a BJP organisational meeting in Chorgalia, Haldwani, Dhami defended the cleaning and purification of the venue, claiming that provocative slogans with religious overtones were raised during the Congress event and that the ground was left littered afterwards.

He said members of voluntary organisations subsequently cleaned and “purified” the site as a mark of protest. “Divisive narratives have no place in Devbhoomi,” Dhami said, accusing the Opposition party of attempting to create divisions on caste and class lines. The controversy over the ritual has drawn criticism from Congress leaders, who have questioned why a public venue used for a political rally was described as requiring purification after Kharge's presence. Dhami also targeted the Congress over its treatment of Dalit leaders, referring to figures including B R Ambedkar, former deputy prime minister Babu Jagjivan Ram and former Congress president Sitaram Kesri.

He alleged that the party had repeatedly used caste as an electoral issue and said such politics would not succeed in Uttarakhand. “Uttarakhand has always welcomed and embraced everyone. Politics aimed at creating divisions on the basis of caste or class will not succeed here,” Dhami said. He also criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, alleging that his public statements reflected the influence of what he described as “misguided advisers and sycophants”.

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The chief minister further alleged that the Congress' political approach had contributed to delays in providing 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and state legislatures. At the BJP meeting, he also discussed strengthening the party's grassroots organisation, upcoming programmes and preparations for future elections with party functionaries. Congress, however, rejected Dhami's allegations and accused the chief minister of attempting to divert attention from the “purification” controversy.

Uttarakhand Congress chief spokesperson Garima Mahara Dasauni questioned the justification for describing the venue as requiring purification after Kharge's rally. “If there was litter, clean it; if inflammatory slogans were raised, take legal action. But why call it purification?” Dasauni said. She argued that any alleged violation during the rally should have been addressed through established legal procedures rather than through a ritual that could imply that the presence of a particular political leader or community had made a public space impure.

The Congress spokesperson also said the BJP should condemn the purification act instead of accusing the Congress of caste politics. She argued that political disagreements should not be used to portray Kharge's presence at the venue as something that required cleansing. The dispute has since become a wider political confrontation between the BJP and Congress in Uttarakhand, with both parties framing the episode around competing questions of caste, identity and political conduct. While Dhami has defended the action as a response to the alleged conduct during the rally, the Congress has described the purification ritual as objectionable and sought accountability for those who organised it.

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