‘Purification’ row: Congress holds protest march in Latur

Latur: The Congress took out a ‘Constitution march’ in Latur city of Maharashtra on Monday, September 7, to protest against the alleged ‘purification’ ritual carried out after a public meeting addressed by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in Uttarakhand and the registration of a case against Rahul Gandhi for raising his voice against the act.

The march began after participants paid tributes at a statue of Babasaheb Ambedkar. It culminated in a protest meeting at Mahatma Gandhi Chowk.

Protestors criticised what they described as attempts to undermine the values of the Constitution and create divisions in society, adding that the incident following Kharge’s public meeting was an affront to the principles of equality and social fraternity.

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They also condemned the registration of a case against Rahul Gandhi, alleging the action was politically motivated and intended to suppress dissent.

A controversy erupted following reports of a purification ritual being performed at the Ramlila Ground in Haldwani in Uttarakhand after Kharge’s rally on August 8. It was alleged that holy water from the Ganga was sprinkled and Vedic mantras were chanted at the venue, with the Congress claiming that this act was “anti-Dalit”.