New Delhi, Aug. 13 -- A political row intensified on Thursday over a "purification" ritual conducted at Haldwani's Ramlila Maidan after a Congress rally addressed by party president and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, with the Congress accusing the BJP of promoting caste prejudice and the ruling party distancing itself from the incident.
Kharge strongly condemned the ritual, questioning why a havan was required at a public venue after his meeting and alleging that the episode exposed what he described as an anti-Dalit mindset.
"We have been saying all along that there is no place for Dalits in this country. After all, what was the need for a 'havan' there?" Kharge told reporters.
He said Ramlila Maidan was...