Congress’s M Kharge says ‘hurt’ by party leaders’ stance on ‘purification’ row

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge addressed a rally in Haldwani on August 8. (File photo) 4 min readNew DelhiAug 20, 2026 01:46 PM IST First published on: Aug 20, 2026 at 05:42 AM IST At the meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) on Wednesday, party president Mallikarjun Kharge vented out a personal anguish. And he has done that rarely. He told those present that he was “hurt” that many of the CWC members did not openly come out in support of him on the ‘purification’ issue by condemning it. Kharge was referring to a ‘purification’ ritual organised in Uttarakhand’s Haldwani after his visit some days ago. The Congress had alleged that those who organised the ‘shuddhikaran havan’ were linked to the BJP and said it reflected a casteist mindset. The BJP, on the other hand, had distanced itself from the event. Kharge had raised the issue in Rajya Sabha as well. He said he had never asked anyone to protect him because he is a Dalit, but the ‘purification’ event made him feel humiliated.