Uttarakhand BJP president and Rajya Sabha member Mahendra Bhatt has reignited a political controversy over the alleged “purification” of Haldwani’s Ramlila Maidan following a rally addressed by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. Bhatt defended the ritual and questioned why the venue’s purification should be treated as a political issue.

Speaking to journalists at an event in Mussoorie, Bhatt alleged that slogans supporting a particular religion and objectionable remarks against Hinduism were made during the Congress programme. He argued that the Ramlila ground is associated with religious and cultural activities and that concerns over its sanctity should not have been turned into a political controversy.

Bhatt also criticised the Congress for raising the issue in Parliament and accused the Opposition party of attempting to create divisions in society. He questioned the Congress’s decision to link the incident to Kharge’s Scheduled Caste identity, alleging that doing so amounted to making a political issue out of the matter rather than addressing the circumstances surrounding the ceremony.

Also Read: Mallikarjun Kharge says 'Purification' Ceremony Held at His Rally Venue was Humiliating

The controversy began after a rally addressed by Kharge at Haldwani’s Ramlila Maidan. The Shri Ram Sena Dharmarth Seva Nyas later claimed that it conducted a havan at the venue on August 10 to “purify” the ground. The organisation alleged that remarks and slogans made during the Congress event had affected the sanctity of a venue used for religious and cultural programmes.

The Congress strongly objected to the ritual and described it as discriminatory, while also alleging BJP involvement in the episode. The matter subsequently reached the Rajya Sabha, where Kharge raised the issue. BJP president J.P. Nadda had then rejected the Congress’s allegations and maintained that the BJP had no connection with the organisation that conducted the ceremony.

Bhatt’s latest comments have now brought the dispute back into the political spotlight in Uttarakhand. His defence of the alleged purification ritual contrasts with the BJP’s earlier effort to distance itself from the ceremony and is likely to intensify the exchange between the BJP and Congress over the Haldwani incident.

Also Read: Mallikarjun Kharge says 'Purification' Ceremony Held at His Rally Venue was Humiliating