BJP denies caste element in Haldwani controversy, hits back at Gandhi

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday rejected suggestions that caste played any role in an incident at Haldwani in Uttarakhand, pushing back against allegations raised by the opposition Indian National Congress. Party representatives asserted that characterizations of the event as having communal implications were unfounded and politically motivated.

The controversy emerged after Rahul Gandhi targeted the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, claiming that a purification ceremony had been organized at a venue where Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge was scheduled to address a gathering in the hill town. The opposition leader's remarks triggered a sharp political response from the ruling party.

BJP officials accused Gandhi and the Congress of attempting to divide society along caste lines through their comments. They characterized the opposition's stance as divisive politics aimed at stoking tensions rather than engaging in substantive political debate. The party maintained that the incident had been misrepresented and taken out of context by its critics.

The Haldwani incident has become the latest flashpoint in the ongoing political contest between the BJP and Congress, with both sides trading accusations over communal sensitivities and inclusive politics in the region.