A political controversy has emerged in Uttarakhand following a rally addressed by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge. Shortly after the event concluded, members of the Shri Ram Sena group conducted a 'shuddhikaran' or purification ceremony at the rally site.

Uttarakhand Congress chief Ganesh Godiyal has publicly alleged that the Shri Ram Sena is affiliated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), suggesting the ritual was a politically motivated act intended to disparage the Congress party. The BJP has categorically denied these allegations, rejecting any formal or informal association with the group that performed the ceremony.

While the act of performing a purification ritual at a public venue previously occupied by political opponents is not unprecedented in Indian politics, the incident has highlighted the deepening divide between the two parties in the state. The Congress party views the act as an attempt to communalize the political space, while the BJP maintains that the actions of independent groups do not reflect the party's official stance or organizational activities. As of now, no formal police complaints have been filed regarding the incident, but the verbal sparring between the two parties continues to escalate in local media.