Bengaluru, Aug 2026 : Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has strongly condemned the reported ‘shuddhikaran’ or purification ceremony allegedly conducted at the venue of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge’s public meeting in Haldwani, Uttarakhand, calling the incident a “disgraceful act” and a direct affront to the Constitution.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Shivakumar said the reported incident was not merely an insult directed at Kharge but represented a larger attack on the constitutional principles of equality, fraternity and human dignity. He described it as a disturbing reminder of caste-based prejudices that, he said, have no place in modern India.
Referring to Kharge as one of the country’s respected statesmen and a lifelong public servant, Shivakumar said treating a public venue as requiring purification merely because it had been addressed by a Dalit leader amounted to “unambiguous caste discrimination”.
He said such an act demeaned not only Kharge but also every Indian who believed in equality and dignity. Shivakumar stressed that untouchability was not a matter of individual opinion but was prohibited by the Constitution and represented a serious moral failure.
The Karnataka Chief Minister said attempts to legitimise or normalise practices rooted in caste discrimination amounted to an attack on the foundations of the Indian Republic established by B.R. Ambedkar and the framers of the Constitution.
“India cannot and must not tolerate the revival of such medieval prejudices in public life,” Shivakumar said, emphasising that every citizen, regardless of caste, was entitled to equal dignity and respect.
He called upon democratic forces and political leaders to unequivocally oppose any attempt to justify or normalise such practices. According to Shivakumar, remaining silent in the face of discrimination could encourage those seeking to divide society along caste lines.
Expressing solidarity with Kharge, Shivakumar said he stood firmly with the Congress president and reiterated the need to protect the constitutional values of equality, justice and dignity for all citizens.
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and Revenue and Sports Minister G. Parameshwara also condemned the reported purification ritual. He said the alleged incident demonstrated that caste discrimination and untouchability continued to persist in parts of the country.
Parameshwara said such practices were contrary to the ideals of a democratic and constitutional India and stressed the need for continued social awareness and collective efforts to eliminate caste-based discrimination.
The controversy has drawn sharp reactions from Congress leaders, who have framed the reported incident as a wider question of constitutional morality and social equality. Shivakumar's remarks underline the party's demand that caste-based discrimination and practices associated with untouchability should have no place in public life.
