Haldwani :An FIR has been registered against Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi over remarks he made about a ‘purification’ ritual conducted at a venue in Haldwani after a Congress rally addressed by party president Mallikarjun Kharge.
The case was registered at Haldwani City Kotwali following a complaint by Amit Kumar, a member of the Valmiki community. Police said the complaint alleged that Gandhi’s remarks gave a caste-based interpretation to the ritual and hurt the sentiments of members of the Scheduled Caste community.
Controversy began after Kharge’s rally
The dispute centres on a ‘shuddhikaran yajna’ reportedly conducted at Ramlila Ground after Kharge addressed a Congress gathering there on August 8.
Congress leaders alleged that the ritual amounted to caste-based discrimination because of Kharge’s Dalit identity. Rahul Gandhi subsequently described the act as another form of untouchability and demanded that an FIR be registered against those responsible.
However, the organisers and BJP leaders have rejected the caste-based interpretation. The complainant has said that people from different sections of society, including members of Scheduled Castes, participated in the ritual and that it was not connected with Kharge’s caste.
Political dispute takes legal turn
The FIR invokes provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita concerning promotion of enmity and acts intended to outrage religious feelings, along with provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Police said the matter is under investigation.
The development has intensified the political exchange between the Congress and BJP in Uttarakhand, with Congress leaders questioning the action against Gandhi while BJP leaders have defended the ritual and rejected allegations of caste discrimination.