Speaking to a gathering of the Chalavadi community, Abbayya said the incident – in which activists performed a ritual cleansing after Kharge’s visit to the Uttarakhand town – was a grave affront to the constitutional principle of equality and demanded a strong, statewide response.
“Mallikarjun Kharge has become a mass leader with a clean image, beyond caste affiliations, because of his public service and integrity,” Abbayya asserted, adding that the lack of a protest was “a matter of disgrace” for the Congress.
The MLA’s remarks were made alongside former minister H.C. Mahadevappa, who emphasized ideology over power, and Dr. Mahadevappa, who recalled his own refusal to re‑join the JD(S) despite promises of a ministerial berth, underscoring a broader call for ideological commitment among Dalit leaders.
Other speakers, including Minister K.S. Basavantappa, highlighted issues facing pourakarmikas (municipal sanitation workers), accusing outsourcing agencies of exploitation and pledging stricter oversight and a proposed award in the name of former minister B. Basavalingappa.
Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara inaugurated the event at the S.S. Mallikarjun Cultural Centre, while senior Congress figures such as Prabha Mallikarjun and MP Samarth Shamanur were also present.
Abbayya urged Dalit and other marginalized communities to unite under Ambedkarite principles, warning against forming associations merely for their own sake and calling for collective action to defend democratic values.
The “purification ritual” incident, which took place after Kharge’s recent visit to Haldwani, has been framed by the speakers as an attempt by right‑wing forces to demean a senior party leader and, by extension, all Indian citizens.