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Uttarakhand CM Defends SIR, Rejects Purification Claims
Developing
In Short: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami defended the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, stating that its final decisions were taken unanimously.
Dhami addressed the 'purification' ritual controversy, asserting that the ritual performed in Haldwani was not directed against any individual or caste, including party president Mallikarjun Kharge or Dalits.
Dhami accused the Congress of attempting to mislead the public by manufacturing a narrative against the Election Commission.
Congress MP Mallu Ravi announced that the party would hold a 'Dalit-Adivasi Self-Respect Meeting' on September 29 in New Delhi to discuss the purification ritual and alleged violations of laws protecting Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
Ravi accused the BJP of supporting the incident, noting that the party's state president had openly backed those who conducted the ritual.
Award-winning journalist Vidheesha Kuntamalla, who has reported extensively on education, policy, and social justice in Uttarakhand, provided context to the ongoing debate.
What this adds
The Congress's planned meeting aims to address the purification ritual and other alleged violations against Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
What's still developing
- Addressing the media, Dhami said questions could be raised about the Election Commission, but insisted that they should be based on records and facts.
- On the SIR issue, Dhami referred to The Indian Express report that said the two Election Commissioners had recorded at least 14 objections on administrative and procedural matters related to the process.
- “Presenting any internal comment or objection directly as a difference of opinion in the final decision of the Commission would not be appropriate,” Dhami said.
- He said Uttarakhand had a tradition of people from different castes and communities participating together in religious and cultural events.
- Congress MP Mallu Ravi said the meeting would be held by the Congress SC/ST MPs’ Forum in collaboration with the AICC departments dealing with Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.“This was not merely an insult to Kharge ji, but an insult to the entire SC/ST community,” he alleged.
- Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday defended the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, saying its final decisions had been taken unanimously.