The Congress on Thursday condemned the "purification" of the rally venue in Uttarakhand's Haldwani after a public meeting addressed by party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and alleged that the incident reflected the "anti-Dalit" mindset of the BJP and RSS.

Kharge, who is the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, also raised the matter in the House and demanded the registration of a case under the Untouchability Act against those involved even as Chairman C P Radhakrishnan and Union minister J P Nadda condemned the incident.

"Is this the way democracy works? How are you protecting the Constitution?" Kharge asked. He also said he does not intend to politicise the issue, but they have "insulted" him by purifying the stage.

Nadda said the matter will be investigated. "...The BJP does not subscribe to such activities. We will investigate it, and I condemn this incident," he said.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the "purification" of the stage after the public meeting "is not just an insult to one individual, it is an insult to that Constitution which declared untouchability a crime".

"And this is not an isolated incident. It is the result of the Manuvadi mindset nurtured by BJP-RSS for years - that vile mindset which, even today, determines a person's status by their birth, not by equality and humanity," he said in a post in Hindi on X.

Addressing a press conference, Congress general secretary in-charge for Uttarakhand Kumari Selja demanded registration of an FIR and strict action against those involved, saying the incident had "shamed" the state.

The opposition party said it would continue its fight against such "casteist thinking" from the streets to Parliament and would stage countrywide protests on the issue on Friday.

"The manner in which our leader Mallikarjun Kharge was insulted. We would not tolerate such insult and would raise our voice across the country. We would stage protest marches in all districts of the country and highlight the anti-Dalit mindset of the BJP," Selja said.

Uttarakhand Congress president Ganesh Godiyal, Leader of Opposition in the Uttarakhand Assembly Yashpal Arya and Permanent Invitee of CWC Gurdeep Sappal termed the incident a "grave insult" to the entire Dalit community.

The Congress leaders asked why the BJP-led Uttarakhand government was sleeping when such an incident happened that has "shamed" the state. The leaders also sought an impartial probe by the Union Home Ministry, saying it must discharge its constitutional responsibility.

Selja said that the BJP starts indulging in "mischief" whenever elections approach. She added that when the BJP is unable to act openly, it pushes forward "anarchic elements", whose actions expose the party's real mindset.

She alleged that the administration and the ruling establishment had made every possible effort to undermine Rahul Gandhi's 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' programme in Dehradun and Kharge's rally in Haldwani, but both events were successful because of the strong public response.

"After Kharge ji's programme, the venue was 'purified'. This is proof of the anti-Dalit mindset of the BJP-RSS," Selja said.

Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan, in an X post, termed it as a "reprehensible act" which not only insults an individual, but also the constitutional values of equality and dignity.

Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday condemned the incident and accused the BJP and RSS of promoting "a casteist mindset". In a statement, he said the 'shuddhikaran' was "shameful, reprehensible and condemnable".

Uttarakhand Congress chief Godiyal said that BJP workers conducting a 'havan' at the venue where Kharge had addressed the public reflected the BJP's "narrow mindset". He urged members of the Scheduled Castes to recognise the BJP's "hatred" towards them and not support the party.

Arya, LoP in Uttarakhand, said the "purification" of the Ramlila Maidan (the rally venue in Haldwani) had exposed the BJP's "real face". He noted that Kharge had a long political career and had consistently stood for constitutional values and social justice.

"If such treatment can be meted out to the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, one can imagine what kind of atrocities ordinary Dalits may be facing in the country and the state," Arya said.

Sappal questioned the inaction of the state government and police administration, saying several days had passed but no FIR was registered and the government had taken no effective action. He said the government offered only an assurance of an inquiry after Kharge raised the matter in the Rajya Sabha.

He questioned the silence of the Union Home Minister Amit Shah, saying the Home Ministry had a primary responsibility to ensure the implementation of the Constitution.

The Congress leaders demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami respond to the incident and that those responsible be brought to justice.