Congress Holds Protest March Over Alleged ‘Purification’ Ceremony, Slams BJP

The Himachal Pradesh Congress has strongly criticized an alleged “purification” ceremony linked to an event attended by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, calling it an affront to constitutional values and social equality.

State Congress President Vinay Kumar alleged that the so-called purification ritual was performed because the Congress national president had shared the stage during the event. He claimed that the act was carried out on the premise that the venue had been “desecrated” by Kharge’s presence, making purification necessary afterward.

Describing the incident as “highly condemnable,” Kumar said it reflected a deeply discriminatory mindset and exposed what he termed the BJP’s divisive and anti-progressive approach. According to him, such actions go beyond political differences and amount to an attack on the principles of equality, fraternity, social justice, and human dignity enshrined in the Constitution.

He further stated that the alleged act was not only disrespectful to the Congress president but also hurt the sentiments and dignity of millions of Indians. Emphasizing the importance of constitutional values, Kumar said discriminatory practices have no place in a democratic society.

Congress Takes to the Streets in Protest

In response to the controversy, Congress leaders and workers organized a protest march in Shimla under the banner of the District Congress Committee (Urban and Rural).

Several senior party leaders participated in the march, including State Congress Vice President Amit Nanda, General Secretary Yashpal Tanik, Satyajit Negi, Adarsh Sood, Yashwant Chhajta, Jenav Chandel, Vineet Gautam, Suresh Nagta, Usha Rathore, Pawan Thakur, Chaman, Seema Chauhan, Rita Bhardwaj, Mohan Negi, and Surendra Chauhan.

District Congress Committee Rural President Harikrishna Himral, Urban President Indrajit Singh, District Council Member Anuradha, along with Anita Sharma, Priyanka Tanwar, S.K. Sehgal, Prabha Verma, Devendra Thakur, Rajesh Sharma, Rajdev Thakur, and many other party workers were also present.

The protest march witnessed party workers voicing their opposition to the alleged incident and reiterating the Congress party’s commitment to social harmony, equality, and inclusive politics.