Haldwani stage ‘purification’ deeply concerning, says Mayawati

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Friday condemned the alleged “purification” of a stage in Haldwani after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge addressed a gathering there, describing the incident as deeply troubling.

The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister urged the Uttarakhand government to take action against those responsible, whom she accused of displaying casteist and feudal attitudes.

In a post on X, Mayawati said the incident had been brought to the country’s attention in Parliament on Thursday and warranted serious concern.

The alleged act took place at Ramlila Maidan in Uttarakhand, where Kharge, who belongs to the Dalit community, had addressed a public meeting on 8 August.

Raising the matter in the Rajya Sabha, Kharge alleged that people associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party had carried out the “purification”. He demanded that those involved be prosecuted under laws against untouchability and sent to jail. Union Minister J P Nadda also condemned the alleged incident.

Mayawati said the RSS chief should take note of the episode and reflect on it, particularly in light of his views on withdrawing reservation benefits from Dalits who had achieved a degree of economic advancement.

In a separate statement, the BSP chief expressed concern over Thursday’s attack on Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal at a gurdwara in Maharashtra’s Nanded.

She called upon the Central and Maharashtra governments to treat the incident with the utmost seriousness and initiate stringent legal action against the attacker.

Badal, a former Punjab deputy chief minister, suffered an injury to his hand after being attacked with a kirpan. Nanded Superintendent of Police Neelabh Rohan said the alleged assailant, identified as a Nihang Sikh, had been taken into custody.

With PTI inputs