BJP lashes out at Rahul Gandhi over ‘purification’ remarks

New Delhi, Aug 29 (IANS) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Anil Baluni has lashed out at Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of “lies and hate” after he claimed Uttarakhand BJP leaders’ involvement in an alleged purification ritual at the venue of an event of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge in Haldwani.

The BJP National Media Head termed the allegation as “utterly ridiculous” in a social media post Tuesday night. “Exposed: Rahul Gandhi’s Shop of Lies and Hate!” posted Baluni, who is also the BJP’s Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha from Garhwal, Uttarakhand, on X. “How much lower will Rahul Gandhi stoop?” he added.

The BJP Chief Spokesperson claimed in his post that the “cleanliness programme” had “absolutely nothing to do with caste,” and “twisting it into a caste angle and playing politics with it doesn’t befit the Leader of the Opposition”. He pointed out that those parts of the said rituals and the “cleaning programme were from the Dalit community itself”.

Baluni further claimed that they had “no connection whatsoever with the BJP”, adding, “Amazing, Mr Rahul Gandhi – yet you don’t feel ashamed hurling these false and fabricated accusations!”

Earlier in the day, LoP Rahul Gandhi said, addressing the media, “BJP-RSS members do this, and it is a crime under the Indian Constitution. The word ‘Shuddhikaran (purification)’ is just another word for untouchability,” while demanding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should direct the filing of an FIR against those allegedly involved in the purported act.

“After partitioning the country, Rahul Gandhi and the Congress Party are now busy dividing society,” hit out Baluni. “History bears witness that Congress has always done injustice to Dalits. Those who insulted Baba Saheb, defamed their own national president Sitaram Kesri, made Dalits pick up their shoes, and kept their current national president out of the room, when such people start lecturing on Dalit politics, it seems utterly ridiculous,” he added.

–IANS

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