CM Dhami accuses Congress of anti-Dalit politics, targets Kharge and Rahul
Synopsis
Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami accused Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi of systematically playing the caste card to mislead society, declaring that Congress's 'anti-Dalit face is now fully exposed' — a volley in BJP's long-running battle for Dalit voter loyalty across northern India.
Key Takeaways
CM Pushkar Singh Dhami posted on September 24, 2026 accusing Congress of using caste politics to demean Dalit society.
He specifically named Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi as architects of this strategy.
Dhami declared that Congress's 'anti-Dalit face is now fully exposed' and that Dalit society has seen through the party's politics.
The charge echoes BJP's broader counter-narrative against Congress's 2023 caste-census campaign, which BJP labelled divisive.
The post is part of an ongoing BJP effort to consolidate Dalit voter support in Uttarakhand and across the Hindi belt ahead of future elections.
The gloves are off — and this time the target is identity itself. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami launched a sharp broadside at the Indian National Congress on Thursday, September 24, 2026, accusing the party of deliberately playing the caste card to sow confusion in society while simultaneously insulting the Dalit community it claims to champion.
Posting in Hindi, Dhami wrote: 'Congress ka kaam keval rajneeti karna hai' — 'Congress's only job is politics' — and alleged that neither Mallikarjun Kharge nor Rahul Gandhi had hesitated to demean Dalit society in pursuit of electoral advantage. His closing line was a pointed verdict: 'Congress's anti-Dalit face is now fully exposed. Dalit society has now understood this politics.'
The caste-card charge and what drives it
The accusation is not new, but the naming of names sharpens it considerably. By calling out Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge — himself a prominent Dalit leader and a Rajya Sabha member of long standing — Dhami is doing something tactically deliberate: turning the Congress's own most visible Dalit face into evidence of the party's alleged hypocrisy. The logic BJP has pressed for years is that Congress uses Dalit identity as electoral currency without delivering substantive change.
The roots of this particular battle run at least to 2023, when Congress pushed hard for a nationwide caste census, a demand BJP characterised as divisive caste arithmetic rather than genuine social justice. That debate energised Dalit and Other Backward Class voters across northern states and sharpened the contest for their loyalties — a contest Uttarakhand, with its significant Scheduled Caste population, is deeply embedded in.
Why Dalit votes are the real prize
Dalit voters across northern India represent one of the most consequential blocs in state and national elections. Both BJP and Congress have spent decades competing for this constituency — BJP through welfare schemes, reservation defence, and symbolic appointments, Congress through its historical association with B.R. Ambedkar's legacy and more recent caste-census advocacy. Every accusation of 'insulting Dalit society' is, at bottom, a bid to peel away a slice of that electorate.
Dhami's post arrives with an eye on future electoral cycles in Uttarakhand and the broader Hindi belt. The BJP, under Chief Ministers across northern states, has made the framing consistent: Congress talks caste, BJP delivers to all sections. Whether that argument lands will depend on what voters see in their lived experience — not in a social media post.
Point of View
It attacks the opposition's credibility on caste, using Congress's own president — a Dalit — as the primary exhibit. The tactic is designed to neutralise Congress's 2023 caste-census momentum by reframing the party not as a champion of Dalits but as their exploiter. With northern state elections perpetually on the horizon, this kind of high-profile framing by a sitting Chief Minister signals that the contest for Scheduled Caste votes remains the defining fault line of Hindi-belt electoral politics — and neither side intends to yield an inch.
NationPress
24 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did CM Pushkar Singh Dhami say about Congress and Dalit politics?
Dhami accused Congress of using caste politics purely for electoral gain, alleging that leaders like Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi had systematically played the caste card to create confusion in society and had not hesitated to insult the Dalit community in the process.
Why is BJP accusing Congress of being anti-Dalit?
BJP has long argued that Congress exploits Dalit identity for votes without delivering real benefits, and Dhami's post is part of that broader counter-narrative — particularly aimed at undercutting Congress's push for a nationwide caste census, which BJP described as divisive in 2023.
Who is Mallikarjun Kharge and why is he named in Dhami's post?
Mallikarjun Kharge is the President of the Indian National Congress since 2022 and is himself from a Dalit background. By naming him, Dhami argues that even the party's top Dalit leader has participated in caste-based politics that ultimately harms the Dalit community.
What is the BJP strategy to win Dalit votes in northern India?
BJP positions itself as delivering welfare and dignity to all sections including Scheduled Castes through schemes and symbolic appointments, while accusing Congress of treating Dalit identity as mere electoral currency — a framing Chief Ministers like Dhami amplify on social media.
Is there an election coming up in Uttarakhand that prompted this post?
No specific election date has been confirmed, but Uttarakhand political leaders frequently make targeted statements on caste and community issues in anticipation of state assembly and parliamentary election cycles, using social media to shape voter perception in advance.
