DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand High Court on Monday disposed of a public interest litigation linked to the controversial “purification” ceremony held at Haldwani’s Ramlila Maidan after a public meeting addressed by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.
The development came amid the Congress party's march to the Chief Minister's residence in Dehradun to protest against the incident. A Division Bench comprising Senior Justice Manoj Kumar Tiwari and Justice Siddharth Sah disposed off the petition after the state government assured the court that the matter would be investigated impartially and all relevant electronic evidence preserved.
During the hearing, the government informed the court that two FIRs had been registered in connection with the controversy. “One FIR has been lodged in Haldwani, while a zero FIR was registered in Bengaluru based on media reports,” the state submitted before the court. The Bengaluru zero FIR would be transferred to Haldwani for investigation, the court was told.
The Advocate General also assured the Bench that CCTV footage, video recordings and other electronic evidence related to the incident would be secured. Following the assurance and after hearing the parties, the Bench disposed of the petition.
The PIL was filed by Dehradun-based social activist Baijnath. It alleged that the public sprinkling of Gangajal amid Vedic chants after Kharge’s meeting could promote social hostility and deepen divisions.
The petitioner said conflicting explanations and religious statements had emerged after the ceremony. The Congress had also submitted a memorandum to the Governor demanding action.
According to the petition, an FIR was registered against those who allegedly conducted the purification ceremony, but a complaint submitted by Congress members was not registered. The petitioner sought directions for the immediate preservation of documentary and electronic material, including CCTV footage and videos.
He also requested the court to direct the state government to ensure “effective, impartial and lawful action”. The petition said information had been sought under the Right to Information Act to establish the facts surrounding the incident.
Kharge had addressed a Congress rally at the Ramlila Maidan on August 8.
On August 11, members of a right-wing organisation, Shri Ram Sena Dharmarth Seva Nyas, allegedly sprinkled Gangajal and performed a havan at the venue. The organisers reportedly claimed that the ritual was intended to restore the site’s sanctity and ensure cleanliness after the political event.
Kharge later raised the issue in the Rajya Sabha and demanded legal action against those involved. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also addressed the controversy at a press conference in Delhi. Subsequently, two youths associated with the ceremony lodged a case against Gandhi in Haldwani under provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes law.
On September 4, Bengaluru Police registered a zero FIR against BJP leaders following a complaint by former Tribal Congress vice-president T.R. Ramappa. The complaint cited provisions of the Protection of Civil Rights Act, the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.