Jaipur (Rajasthan) [India], September 5 (ANI): Senior Congress leader and former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday termed the alleged 'purification' ritual conducted after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's rally in Haldwani as a serious incident, saying the episode has caused pain to the entire Dalit community.
"This is a serious incident. If this can happen to the Congress president, just imagine what must be happening to the Dalit community across the entire nation. Under their rule, this negligence has only increased," Gehlot told ANI.
He said incidents of injustice, oppression and persecution have been ongoing, and the episode involving Kharge has hurt Dalits, backward classes, tribals and the poor.
"Such incidents of injustice, oppression, and persecution have been ongoing, but the incident that happened with Mallikarjun Kharge has caused immense pain to the entire Dalit community of the country, the backward classes, tribals, or any poor person—anyone who has sympathy for Dalits," he said.
Gehlot also referred to Leader of the House JP Nadda's assurance in the Rajya Sabha on the matter and said people had expected action following the assurance.
"(In the Rajya Sabha) JP Nadda, who is also the Leader of the House, said that they take this matter seriously and action will be taken against it.JP Nadda's assurance in the House is no ordinary thing. It is a very big deal in itself. When he said that, everyone trusted him and had hoped that some action would be taken... but nothing happened. This pain is felt by all of us, by all citizens of the country; there is intense outrage among all people, which the BJP government or the NDA government is failing to understand, but when the time comes, the people will make them understand—I believe that," he added.
Meanwhile, in connection with the controversy, the Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee will stage a massive demonstration and march from Dehradun's Parade Ground to the Chief Minister's residence on September 7 over the Haldwani 'purification' row.
The controversy began after a Congress rally at Ramlila Ground in Haldwani on August 8, ahead of the 2027 Uttarakhand Assembly elections. Members of a right-wing group later conducted a shuddhikaran ritual at the venue, triggering criticism from Congress leaders.
Shifting focus to another issue, Gehlot also commented on the controversy surrounding a book on Sonia Gandhi, alleging that publisher Penguin was "hesitating" due to pressure.
"The publisher Penguin is hesitating, making excuses. We had already said that there might be pressure from the government on them because Penguin's parent company is ready to publish the book...Penguin has been completely exposed... So far, accusations have been made against the PMO, against the government, but not a single word has been said from the government's side," he said.
Gehlot further added, "Sonia Gandhi is not an ordinary leader; she has been the Leader of the Opposition. She has been the Congress President for 22 years, she has had a long political life... Ever since it became known that Penguin Publishing Company has refused to publish this book, several major publishers have started offering proposals to publish this book... A publisher will come, the book will be printed, and I am fully confident that this book will be launched on November 10 itself."
The memoir chronicles Sonia Gandhi's journey, from her childhood in post-war Italy and her romance that brought her to India to the devastating personal losses that profoundly shaped her life and her relationship with her adopted country.
In the memoir, the 79-year-old Congress veteran, who holds the distinction of being the party's longest-serving president, revisits her childhood in Italy, her relationship with former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi during their time at Cambridge, and the assassinations of her mother-in-law, Indira Gandhi, and her husband, Rajiv Gandhi. (ANI)
"If this can happen to Cong president, imagine what must be happening to Dalits": Gehlot slams BJP over Haldwani row
