‘Purification’ row: Congress terms BJP ‘anti-Dalit’ for not halting protest to adopt resolution

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Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah sitting in the last bench during the Legislative Assembly at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru on Tuesday.

The Congress on Tuesday launched a counter-attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party, terming it “anti-Dalit” for refusing to suspend its protest in the Assembly demanding the resignation of Minister B. Nagendra, thereby preventing the House from adopting a unanimous resolution condemning the “purification” ceremony conducted at a venue in Uttarakhand after AICC president and Dalit leader Mallikarjun Kharge addressed a rally there.

A “purification” ritual was reportedly conducted at a public ground in Uttarakhand’s Haldwani, two days after Mr. Kharge addressed a public rally there on August 8, drawing widespread condemnation.

The issue was raised in the Assembly on Tuesday by Congress members Sharat Bachhe Gowda and N.T. Srinivas, who termed the “purification” as a heinous crime and demanded that Karnataka, being the land of social reformer Basavanna, should send a strong message by allowing its Houses to adopt an unanimous resolution against such discrimination.

Social Welfare Minister K.H. Muniyappa and Greater Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda underlined the need for an unanimous resolution, and appealed to the protesting Opposition members to participate in the debate to facilitate its adoption.

But the Opposition members refused to suspend their vociferous protest. Instead, the BJP members continued to accuse the Congress government of showing “anti-Dalit” stance by not sacking a Minister who has allegedly misused the funds meant for Scheduled Tribes welfare and who has been chargesheeted in the case.

The ruling members tried to turn the tables against the BJP members by calling their conduct “real anti-Dalit”, while taking exception to their stubborn stand against suspending the protest.

Leading the charge, Mr. Krishna Byre Gowda said, “Mr. Kharge is the senior most Dalit leader. It is those associated with the BJP who have insulted Mr. Kharge through purification process. In the House too, the BJP is indirectly supporting the purification episode by not facilitating a debate on the proposal for an unanimous resolution condemning the event.”

Mr. Muniyappa termed the “purification” episode inhuman and expressed concern that such caste-oriented mindsets existed even now. “It is not the venue from where Mr. Kharge addressed the people that is impure. But it is the caste and oppressive mindset of those who undertook purification that is impure,” he remarked.

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