Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has criticised Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge over remarks concerning the Prime Minister’s father and questioned the Congress party’s alliance with Akhilesh Yadav.
Dhami made the comments in Rudraprayag while responding to statements by Kharge and Yadav. He described Kharge’s remarks about the Prime Minister’s father as “absurd and inappropriate” and said they were inconsistent with democratic standards of decency.
The chief minister also accused Akhilesh Yadav, whom he described as an alliance partner of Congress and a close friend of Rahul Gandhi, of using the term “infiltrators” for people from Uttarakhand. The allegation was made during a wider criticism of the language used by opposition leaders about the state.
Dhami invokes Uttarakhand’s identity
Dhami said Uttarakhand is known as “Devbhoomi and Veerbhoomi” and highlighted its association with the Char Dham. He argued that the state’s cultural and historical identity should be respected in political debate.
He also referred to Uttarakhand’s statehood movement while criticising Akhilesh Yadav’s family. Dhami alleged that Yadav’s father, during his tenure as Chief Minister, ordered firing on statehood agitators. He linked the allegation to incidents at Khatima, Mussoorie, Shriyantra Tapu and Rampur Tiraha, describing the consequences as a massacre.
The comments were presented by Dhami as a response to the use of the word “infiltrators” for people from Uttarakhand. He said Akhilesh Yadav’s wife is from Uttarakhand and argued that Yadav should avoid using such language.
Dhami’s references to the statehood agitation and the named locations were part of his political criticism. The remarks do not establish any new investigation, court finding or administrative action concerning those incidents.
Question for Congress alliance
Dhami said Congress is allied with Akhilesh Yadav’s party and placed the issue before the Congress leadership. He asked the party to decide whether it valued the alliance more than the self-respect of Uttarakhand.
His remarks brought together 2 separate political objections: Kharge’s comments about the Prime Minister’s father and Yadav’s alleged description of people from Uttarakhand as “infiltrators”. Dhami used both issues to challenge the Congress alliance and defend the state’s identity.
The immediate development is a political response from the Uttarakhand chief minister. a reply from Kharge, Akhilesh Yadav or the Congress party to Dhami’s comments is not yet available.
Conclusion
Pushkar Singh Dhami has criticised Mallikarjun Kharge’s remarks, accused Akhilesh Yadav of using objectionable language about Uttarakhand residents and asked Congress to reconsider what it prioritises in its alliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Who made the remarks?
Pushkar Singh Dhami, the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, made the remarks.
Q. Where did Dhami speak?
He spoke in Rudraprayag.
Q. What did Dhami say about Mallikarjun Kharge?
Dhami called Kharge’s remarks about the Prime Minister’s father “absurd and inappropriate” and said they breached standards of democratic decency.
Q. What allegation did Dhami make about Akhilesh Yadav?
Dhami alleged that Yadav used the term “infiltrators” for people from Uttarakhand.
Q. Which statehood agitation locations did Dhami mention?
He mentioned Khatima, Mussoorie, Shriyantra Tapu and Rampur Tiraha.
Q. What did Dhami ask Congress to decide?
He asked Congress to choose between its alliance with Akhilesh Yadav and the self-respect of Uttarakhand.
