Haldwani ‘Purification’ Row Escalates: Congress to March to CM’s Residence on Sept 7..
The controversy that erupted after Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge’s rally in Haldwani has now escalated into a political movement. Congress has begun preparations to increase pressure on the government on this issue. As a result, the Congress Party is planning to march to the Chief Minister’s residence in the state capital, Dehradun, on September 7th, 2026. Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi are also expected to participate in this major political protest. The primary reason for this controversy is a large Congress Party public meeting held on August 8th, 2026, at the Ramlila Maidan in Haldwani, Uttarakhand, addressed by Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge. Two days after the rally, on August 10, 2026, individuals associated with some Hindu organizations (allegedly Shri Ram Sena) sprinkled Ganga water on the stage and grounds amid chanting of Vedic mantras and performed a “havan” (sacrifice). Photos and videos of this incident went viral on social media. The Congress party has taken this incident to be extremely serious and has directly labeled it an act of “caste discrimination and untouchability.” Mallikarjun Kharge belongs to the Scheduled Caste (Dalit) community. The Congress alleges that Kharge’s presence alone was the reason for the “purification” of the grounds, reflecting a feudal and casteist mindset. Mallikarjun Kharge himself raised the issue in the Rajya Sabha, calling it an act of untouchability and demanding the arrest of the perpetrators. Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, also strongly criticized the incident, calling it against the Constitution and human values. Meanwhile, the Congress party alleges that the police have not yet filed an FIR against those responsible for the purification incident. Furthermore, the Congress party is demanding the cancellation of the cases filed against Rahul Gandhi. The Congress party will now march to the Chief Minister’s residence on September 7th to protest the purification incident. State Congress leaders have begun preparations to make the march a success. According to party sources, Rahul Gandhi and other national leaders may also participate in the rally. However, the Congress party has not yet formally announced this.State Congress President Ganesh Godiyal stated that party workers from across the state will march to the Chief Minister’s residence on September 7th. The Congress party will continue to fight the purification issue to the last minute. He added that no schedule for Rahul Gandhi’s arrival at the rally has been finalized.
CM Dhami to arrive in Nainital on a one-day visit, lay foundation stone for Sports University
State Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami will arrive in Nainital on Saturday, August 29th, for a day-long visit. The district administration has released the schedule for the Chief Minister’s visit. According to the schedule, CM Dhami will depart for Haldwani Gaulapar via helicopter from the DPS School grounds in Rudrapur in the morning and arrive at the Gaulapar Stadium helipad at 12 noon. The Chief Minister will then depart by car for the Uttarakhand State Sports University. Five minutes later, he will arrive at the university campus to attend the ceremony. He will also participate in the groundbreaking ceremony and foundation stone laying ceremony of the Uttarakhand State Sports University, as well as the National Sports Day ceremony, and will depart from the Sports University for ITDC Fortune in Haldwani at 2 pm. CM Dhami lay foundation stone for Sports University During this visit, the Chief Minister will interact with people from the industry and business world. The Chief Minister will then arrive in the ITDC Fortuner near the District Cooperative Bank in Anand Bagh and participate in the program held there. At 4 p.m., the Chief Minister will depart from Anand Bagh for Mukhani. After attending the program, the Chief Minister will proceed to the FTI helipad, from where CM Dhami will depart for Dehradun by helicopter. It should be noted that Uttarakhand will receive the state’s first sports university on the occasion of National Sports Day. The sports university, being built in Haldwani’s Gaulapar, will benefit the state’s athletes. A grand ceremony will be held at the International Stadium in Gaulapar for the foundation stone laying ceremony of the sports university, for which preparations have already been completed. Additionally, 94 posts, including the Vice Chancellor, have been approved for the sports university.
Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge will visit Uttarakhand and sound the election bugle from Haldwani..
Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge is visiting Uttarakhand after nearly two and a half years to strategize for the elections. Kharge will launch the Congress election campaign with a rally of party workers at Haldwani’s Ramlila Maidan on August 8th. At the rally, Congress will sharpen the issues of paper leaks, bribe theft, law and order, unemployment, and inflation, and launch a political attack on the BJP. Of the 70 assembly seats in the country, 19 are in the six districts of the Kumaon division. In the 2022 assembly elections, Congress won 19 seats, 11 of which were in the Kumaon division. Following the by-election in the Mangalore assembly seat, Congress gained a one-seat lead. In the Garhwal division, Congress holds only 9 of the 41 assembly seats. Last Wednesday, State Congress in-charge Kumari Selja held a virtual meeting with senior leaders regarding preparations for National President Kharge’s proposed program. She inquired about the preparations from State President Ganesh Godiyal, Leader of the Opposition Yashpal Arya, and other leaders. She instructed party leaders to coordinate and ensure a historic rally. State Congress President Ganesh Godiyal stated that preparations for the National President’s Haldwani rally are being finalized. The party has set a target of 35,000 to 40,000 workers attending the rally. To this end, all party leaders are working to make the rally historic. The national leadership is taking the upcoming assembly elections seriously. Following Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s “Chhatra Ki Goonj” program in Dehradun, the National President’s Haldwani rally will sound the election bugle. In the coming days, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and other top leaders will hold programs in Uttarakhand. The National President’s visit will inject new energy into the party workers.