The Congress on Monday hit out at the BJP after an FIR was registered against Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi over his recent remarks on a ‘shuddhikaran’ (purification) ceremony held at a venue in Uttarakhand’s Haldwani where party president Mallikarjun Kharge had addressed a rally.
The opposition party said it would respond to the FIR through democratic and legal means, asserting that the fight against the casteist mindset behind the incident would continue with full force.
Congress general secretary in-charge of Uttarakhand, Kumari Selja, questioned why no action had been taken against those who allegedly conducted the purification ritual, while an FIR was filed against Gandhi for speaking out against it.
“No action against those who conducted the ‘purification’ ritual after Congress President Shri Mallikarjun Kharge ji’s public meeting, but an FIR against Leader of Opposition Shri Rahul Gandhi ji for raising his voice against that casteist act. Is this the justice of the BJP government?” Selja said in a post on X.
She alleged that the Uttarakhand BJP president had openly defended the ritual after it was carried out, and accused the BJP government of targeting Gandhi after he demanded legal action against those responsible.
Selja described the development as a serious example of what she termed the BJP-RSS’s “anti-Dalit and anti-Constitution” mindset. She said Gandhi had raised the same issue that Kharge himself had previously highlighted in Parliament, arguing that the incident had evoked the sting of untouchability and humiliated him.
"But look at the BJP government's approach. Raise questions about those who conducted the 'purification' - FIR. Talk about Dalit dignity - FIR. Raise your voice for the Constitution - FIR," Selja said
Why is Prime Minister Narendra Modi silent on this entire matter, Selva asked.
The BJP-RSS should dispel this illusion that the fear of cases will make Rahul Gandhi or the Congress back down, she said.
"This is the Gandhi family, which has a history of sacrifice and dedication for the country. Neither FIRs nor the pressure of power can intimidate or silence this voice," she asserted.
The Congress will give a fitting response to this through democratic and legal means, Selja said.
"The fight against the casteist mentality behind the 'purification' -- and for the protection of Dalit dignity and the Constitution -- will be waged with full force," she said.
An FIR has been registered against Rahul Gandhi, following a complaint by a member of the Valmiki community in Haldwani alleging that the Congress leader gave a casteist spin to a religious ritual held at the venue of the AICC chief's programme, police said on Sunday.
The FIR has been registered under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) concerning the promotion of enmity between groups and deliberate acts intended to outrage religious feelings. The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, has also been invoked, police said.
Amit Kumar, a resident of Jawahar Nagar and a Shri Ram Sena Dharmarth Seva Nyas member, claimed in the complaint filed at the Haldwani police station that he was present during the "ritual and cleanliness drive" and Gandhi's remarks made in Delhi at a press conference on August 29 hurt the sentiments of the community.
He accused Gandhi of portraying those associated with the ritual as practising "untouchability" and being "anti-Dalit".
In the complaint, Kumar claimed that he belongs to the Scheduled Caste community and that people from different sections of society, including Scheduled Castes, were involved in the ritual, which, according to him, had "no connection" with Kharge's caste.
A political row erupted after some individuals allegedly performed a 'purification yajna' at the Ramlila Ground in Haldwani on August 11, following a public meeting held there by Kharge on August 8.
While the Congress has termed the incident a reflection of the BJP's anti-Dalit mindset, the BJP defended the action, claiming that the venue was left littered after Kharge's rally and that slogans were raised which were inappropriate for a religious site.
At a press conference in New Delhi on August 29, Gandhi criticised the incident and demanded registration of an FIR under the SC/ST Act against those responsible for the "purification".
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra subsequently joined the demand for action, describing the incident as a reflection of a "reprehensible and shameful mindset" and alleging that it amounted to a violation of the SC/ST Act.
(With inputs from PTI)