WATCH| BJP MLA’s ‘Gaumutra Ritual’ For Congress Defectors in Jaipur, Sparks Purity Politics Debate

A significant political controversy has erupted in Jaipur following a purification ceremony conducted by BJP MLA Balmukund Acharya at the Jaipur Municipal Corporation Heritage (JMCH). The ritual, involving Gangajal (holy water from the Ganges) and gomutra (cow urine), was aimed at symbolically cleansing Congress councillors who had defected to the BJP. These councillors supported the appointment of Kusum Yadav as the new mayor, following the ousting of former Congress mayor Munesh Gurjar amid corruption allegations.

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Acharya, who is also a temple priest, led the purification ceremony with Vedic chants, asserting that the ritual was essential to rid the corporation of the “corruption” allegedly tied to its previous leadership. The Congress councillors who shifted allegiances were made to symbolically consume Gangajal and gomutra, signifying their conversion to Sanatan Dharma (Hinduism). Acharya boldly claimed that the ceremony had made the JMCH “corruption-free” and pure.

This incident has triggered sharp criticism from opposition leaders. Congress member Pratap Singh Khachariyawas questioned Acharya’s authority to perform such a ceremony, criticizing the BJP for accepting the very same councillors they were purportedly “purifying” from corruption. He pointed out the irony in the BJP’s reliance on these defectors to secure political control while simultaneously subjecting them to this ritual.

Also read: Uttar Pradesh: BJP Slams SP’s Afzal Ansari’s Call to Legalize ‘Ganja’

The event underscores the increasingly blurred lines between religion and politics in Rajasthan’s political landscape. Acharya’s justification for the ritual was tied to purifying those connected with corruption, but his actions also reflect a broader pattern of using religious symbolism for political gain​.