Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has condemned the reported \u2018shuddhikaran\u2019 (purification) ceremony conducted at the venue of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge\u2019s public meeting in Uttarakhand\u2019s Haldwani, describing it as a \u201cdisgraceful act\u201d and \u201can affront to the Constitution\u201d. In a statement, Shivakumar said on Thursday that the incident was \u201cnot merely an insult to one individual but a direct assault on the values enshrined in our Constitution and an ugly reminder of the caste prejudices that have no place in modern India\u201d.<\/p>\n
Calling Kharge \u201cone of the country\u2019s most respected statesmen and a lifelong public servant,\u201d the Chief Minister said the suggestion that a public place required \u201cpurification\u201d because it had been addressed by a Dalit leader amounted to \u201cunambiguous caste discrimination\u201d. \u201cIt demeans not only Mallikarjun Kharge avaru but every Indian who believes in equality, fraternity and human dignity,\u201d he added. Shivakumar said that untouchability was \u201cnot a matter of opinion but a constitutional crime and a moral disgrace,\u201d adding that those attempting to legitimise such practices were attacking the very foundations of the Republic envisioned by B.R. Ambedkar and the framers of the Constitution. \u201cIndia cannot and must not tolerate the revival of such medieval prejudices in public life.<\/p>\n
Every citizen, irrespective of caste, is entitled to equal dignity and equal respect. Any attempt to normalise or justify such acts must be rejected unequivocally,\u201d he added. Expressing solidarity with Kharge, the Chief Minister said that he stood firmly with the Congress President and called upon all democratic forces to speak out against the incident. \u201cSilence in the face of such discrimination only emboldens those who seek to divide our society. We must reaffirm our unwavering commitment to an India founded on equality, justice and the constitutional promise of dignity for all,\u201d Shivakumar added. Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and Revenue and Sports Minister, G. Parameshwara, also condemned the alleged \u201cpurification\u201d ritual conducted at a venue in Uttarakhand after Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge visited the site, describing the incident as evidence that \u201ccaste discrimination and untouchability continue to persist in the country\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n