New Delhi, Aug. 27 -- Congress MP KC Venugopal on Thursday denounced Union Minister JP Nadda's earlier statement of regret in the Rajya Sabha over the 'shuddhikaran' (purification) ritual performed after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's rally in Haldiwani as a "mere eyewash."

In an X post, responding to reports that Uttarakhand BJP Chief Mahendra Bhatt has defended the 'purification' ritual performed at Kharge's rally venue, he questioned, "It was evident from day 1 that Union Minister @JPNadda's statement of regret in the Rajya Sabha was a mere eyewash. If Nadda truly meant that the BJP doesn't subscribe to such acts, how is the BJP's own Uttarakhand Chief defending the so-called 'shuddhikaran' that their workers did after Kharge...