‘We didn’t even know Mallikarjun Kharge ji’s caste’: Newly formed ‘Ram Sena’ whitewashes ‘Shuddhi Yagya’ | Political Pulse News
Formally registered only in early 2026, the Nyas is described by its office-bearers as a “voluntary” organisation. Secretary Ramjee Awasthi puts its numbers at about seven registered members and office-bearers, 11 active workers and around 45 volunteers, and says the Nyas depends for its finances on contributions by members and donations.
The organisation denies links to any political party, and among its chief activities, lists running a ‘cow ambulance’ and funding the education of around five to ten students every year.
The Indian Express tracked down five of the seven office-bearers of the Nyas. The outfit refused to share details of the other two, saying they did not wish to speak with the media.
Girish Pandey distributing rations on behalf of the Nyas. (Express Photo)
Ramjee Awasthi, 42, used to be the VHP’s district ‘Seva Pramukh’ in 2018-19. An MBA graduate who had a stint working in marketing in Delhi, he says he now runs his own business in Haldwani.
“I worked in the VHP for a few years before joining the Nyas. We work for the benefit of people and are not associated with any organisation or political party,” Awasthi told The Indian Express.
Girish Pandey, the Nyas president, is also 42 and a “businessman”. A native of Haldwani, he says he holds a Bachelor’s in Computer Applications degree and worked in Delhi in the BPO sector for some years.
The idea of setting up the Shri Ram Sena Dharmarth Seva Nyas came to him during Covid, Pandey says, “out of concern for animals, the environment and social issues”. But, the overriding principle is: “Whatever we do, we will work for Hindu interests.”
Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge addressed a rally in Haldwani on August 8. (File photo)
On political affiliations, Pandey says: “Whom do I vote for… that is my right to keep it a secret. I owe no direct responsibility to any party or organisation.”
According to Pandey, “We did not even know what caste Khargeji belongs to”. “The organisation does not ask people their caste and we have members from different sections. I myself swept and mopped the ground (where the rally was held) on August 9 and all the members later sat together… Our only aim was to clean the area. Amit, the complainant against Rahul Gandhi, also participated in the (purification) ritual.”
Amit Kumar, a member of the Nyas who belongs to the Dalit Valmiki community, has filed an FIR against Rahul Gandhi over his criticism of the “shuddhikaran”. The Indian Express reached out to Kumar but received no response.
Another prominent face of the Nyas is Lata Pant, 45, its spokesperson. A Kumaun University graduate currently pursuing a Master’s in Social Work, Pant has been tutoring children in nearby villages.
Pant says the idea of the Nyas had been discussed for a long time, “among people who knew each other locally through social work and gatherings”. “We have nothing to do with any party or organisation,” she says. “We are normal people from normal families with dreams.”
Narendra Negi, 43, the Nyas’s treasurer, says he holds a degree in Bachelors of Computer Applications and, till 2021, worked in the human resources section of a firm in Chandigarh. “After I returned to my hometown Haldwani, I started my own business in the sector of Human Resources,” Negi says, adding that he balances his Nyas responsibilities with his work.
The outfit grew out of an informal network of people already helping others in small ways, he adds. “Girish ji (the president) and I were together in college. The other members are also from Haldwani and we know each other. We came together to start the Nyas to help people,” Negi says.
Denying any personal or organisational links to the BJP, VHP or RSS, he says: “Till today, if I speak, it is for myself.” The Nyas is the first organisation he has ever been part of, he adds.
The youngest among the office-bearers is Vijay Fartiyal, 25, originally from Almora but now based in Haldwani. He and his cousins run the family’s mobile shop.
A B.Com graduate, Fartiyal says he joined the Nyas five-six months ago after meeting Pandey. “One day brother (Girish) and I met up, and I felt he was doing good work, doing it for society, doing little things,” he says, adding that they subsequently exchanged numbers and he signed on for the Nyas.
The focus on Shuddhikaran was misplaced, says Fartiyal, talking about other activities of the Nyas such as “subsidising or providing wedding essentials like plates and glasses, organising communal festival meals, running an ambulance service, and a plan to help children prepare for competitive exams”.
He also denies links to any political party, and says the Nyas gets its funds “through society”.
While he wants to complete his Master’s and expand the family business, Fartiyal says his aim ultimately is “to be a good person” and to do service. “The rest, wherever God wants to take me.”
The ‘shuddhikaran’
It began with a WhatsApp message. A day after Kharge’s rally on August 8, a message appeared in a group of the Nyas, starting with “Jai Shri Ram” and going on to talk about how the Ramlila Maidan was “sacred” and meant for Hindu religious programmes.
The Congress gathering, the message alleged, had left Hindu sentiments “deeply hurt”, as slogans “contrary to Hindu beliefs” had been raised, while the presence of “vidharmiyon (people of another faith)” had violated the sanctity of the place.
Then came the announcement: at 11 am the following morning, the Nyas would hold a ‘Shuddhi Yagya (Purification Prayer)’ to restore the piousness of the place, with a call to people to assemble and give aahuti (offering).
The next day, the ground was cleaned and a havan performed.
The Congress has called the ritual an example of caste discrimination in BJP-ruled Uttarakhand against Kharge, a Dalit leader. On August 29, Rahul Gandhi said at a press conference that the “purification” was an act of untouchability and demanded action under the SC/ST Act.
The next day, Amit Kumar filed an FIR under the SC/ST Act against Gandhi, accusing him of “defaming” Dalits. Kumar claimed that after Kharge’s rally, “a large quantity of garbage and empty liquor bottles” had been found at Ramlila Maidan, some containing “highly objectionable / impure material”. He also cited social media videos, showing “objectionable and prima facie jihadi-natured slogans” at the rally.
The ground was hence cleaned and a havan held to restore its “religious and cultural sanctity”, Kumar said. It had “no connection whatsoever with the caste of Shri Mallikarjun Kharge or of any other person”, he said in the FIR, noting that he, a Valmiki, was part of the “purification”.
On August 31, the Congress filed a police complaint against Pandey and 15 unidentified others, accusing them of “criminally” conspiring to carry out an “insulting and reprehensible” purification. Police are yet to take note of this complaint.
Haldwani Congress MLA Sumit Hridayesh told The Indian Express: “The collusion is quite clear. The Congress complaint to the police is not accepted, but an FIR against Rahul Gandhi is conveniently filed.”
Police refused to speak about the FIR filed against Gandhi, or the Congress demand for action against the Nyas. A senior Uttarakhand police official told The Indian Express: “We are in the initial stage of investigation into the FIR registered against Gandhi. Different Congress members have given complaints in different formats… We are examining them from a legal standpoint.”
