Kharge Expresses Hurt Over Congress Leaders' Silence on 'Purification' Row

New Delhi: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, in an unusually candid moment at Wednesday's Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting, told fellow members he was hurt that many of them had chosen not to publicly denounce the 'purification' row in solidarity with him.

The controversy centres on a "shuddhikaran havan" held in Haldwani, Uttarakhand, shortly after Kharge visited the area. Congress had accused the event's organisers of BJP affiliations and described the act as rooted in casteist attitudes. Kharge, who also brought up the matter in the Rajya Sabha, clarified that he had never demanded protection on the basis of his Dalit identity, but said the ritual left him feeling deeply humiliated nonetheless.

During the CWC meeting, Kharge pointed out his disappointment that several members — specifically those who frequently appear in media coverage — had stayed silent on the matter. According to reports, AICC general secretary K C Venugopal countered that the party had, in fact, raised and condemned the issue, though attendees noted that Kharge's demeanour suggested he remained unpersuaded.

Kharge stopped short of naming anyone directly but suggested that some leaders had been making statements or writing pieces that diverged from the party's official position. Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Venugopal described the 'purification' incident as unacceptable and condemnable, attributing it to what he called the BJP's ideological outlook.

The recent incident has put more spotlight on the inner conflicts within the congress party and how some of the party members have been aligning themselves with BJP and Sangh Parivar ideologies.