No caste angle in 'shuddhikaran' row, BJP blames Congress for division

BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi claimed there was 'no caste angle' in the Uttarakhand 'shuddhikaran' row, accusing Congress and Rahul Gandhi of repeatedly raising caste issues to create divisions in Hindu society and push their own political agenda.

BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi on Saturday claimed there was "no caste angle" in the video related to the Uttarakhand 'shuddhikaran' (purification) controversy and accused the Congress of repeatedly raising caste and other similar issues to create divisions in Hindu society.

BJP accuses Congress of creating divisions

Addressing a press conference here, Trivedi took aim at senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his demand for an FIR under the SC/ST Act against those allegedly involved in the purification ritual following party president Mallikarjun Kharge's visit to Uttarakhand's Haldwani. "It is quite clear from these two videos that there was no angle of caste in it. But... I said they have lost their creativity. So every time on their worn-out line, they keep busy finding new ways to create conflict in India," Trivedi said.

He alleged that Rahul Gandhi and the Congress had adopted different issues, including caste, language, region, gender and the distinction between forward and backward classes, to create divisions. "Their only agenda is to make Hindus fight among themselves and to push forward the agenda of Macaulay, Marx, and Maulana from behind," Trivedi said.

Trivedi questions Congress's record on social justice

Trivedi also criticised Rahul Gandhi over his comments on the alleged treatment of Dalits and cited several incidents to question the Congress party's record on social justice. He referred to alleged attacks involving members of the Dalit community in Rajasthan and the 2020 attack on the residence of Congress MLA Akhanda Srinivas Murthy in Karnataka, alleging that the Congress had failed to adequately support its own leader.

"On July 18, 2019, in Bhiwadi, a murderous attack was carried out on Harish Jatav, and on August 15, he died by suicide. Whose government was it? It was the Congress government. On September 15, 2021, in Alwar, a mob attacked Yogesh Jatav, and on September 18, he died in the hospital. On July 1, 2021, in Jhalawar, Krishna Valmiki was beaten on the road, and on July 6, he died in the hospital. Why? It was your government," Trivedi said.

"In Karnataka, PFI members attacked the home of Congress MLA Akhanda Srinivas Murthy, who comes from the Scheduled Caste. Forget about taking action. These people didn't even support their own party leader. He had to fight the case alone in court, and later, out of frustration, he left the party. This is their reality," he added.

BJP contrasts its record on social harmony

He contrasted the Congress' alleged record with the BJP's claim of promoting social harmony and representation of disadvantaged communities. Trivedi referred to the foundation-laying ceremony of the Ram temple in 1989, saying late Kameshwar Chaupal, who belonged to the Dalit community, had laid the foundation stone. He also cited Prime Minister Narendra Modi washing the feet of members of the Valmiki community in Varanasi.

The BJP leader also criticised the Congress over its historical relationship with Dr BR Ambedkar and referred to a letter allegedly written by former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru after Ambedkar's electoral defeat in 1952. Trivedi further questioned Rahul Gandhi's repeated focus on social divisions and said political parties should work towards harmony among different sections of society.

Congress has 'anti-Dalit' mindset, says BJP

BJP national spokesperson Guru Prakash Paswan, who also addressed the press conference, accused the Congress of having an "anti-Dalit" mindset and alleged that the party uses issues concerning the Dalit community for political purposes. Paswan cited instances involving Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Kumari Selja, V Narayanasamy and other leaders to support his allegations.

Rahul Gandhi demands FIR over 'shuddhikaran' ritual

These remarks came after Rahul Gandhi demanded an immediate FIR under the SC/ST Act over the alleged 'shuddhikaran' ritual in Uttarakhand. Gandhi said the alleged act violated the SC/ST Act and constituted a crime.

"This act violates the SC/ST Act. Performing a 'purification' ritual is a crime. Yet, no action has been taken. Therefore, we demand that an FIR be registered immediately against those who carried out this purification ritual in Uttarakhand," Gandhi said.

He also demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi direct the registration of an FIR and ensure justice for Kharge. Gandhi said the Congress' political battle was based on ideology and aimed at protecting the Constitution, adding that the party was not concerned about changes in the BJP's organisational structure. (ANI)

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