I am sure they considered Him ceremonially unclean. They also considered Jesus a "blasphemer". Jesus showed that true uncleanness is only in the heart. It is not an outward uncleanness that is offensive to God.
"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity." (Matt 23:25 - 28)
He also demonstrated Gal. 6:2. "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ." The law of Christ is love and this is the fulfillment of the law which extended no mercy.
The actions of Jesus contrasted by the actions of the religious: "And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers." (Luke 11:46)
When it came to what people really needed, Jesus did not wax religious/hypocritical on them.
Was Jesus justified in what He said to them?
"Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and YOUR FATHERS KILLED THEM. Truly ye bear witness that YE ALLOW THE DEEDS OF YOUR FATHERS: FOR THEY INDEED KILLED THEM, and ye build their sepulchres. Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and SOME OF THEM THEY SHALL SLAY AND PERSECUTE: That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, MAY BE REQUIRED OF THIS GENERATION; From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation. Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in YE HINDERED." (Luke 11:47-52)