Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi ensure an FIR is registered against those who carried out a 'shuddhikaran' (purification) ceremony at the venue in Uttarakhand's Haldwani where party president Mallikarjun Kharge addressed a rally earlier this month.
Priyanka said those responsible should also face action under the SC/ST Act, questioning the Centre's alleged inaction nearly 20 days after the incident.
"If Prime Minister Modi truly respects the Constitution, he should ensure that an FIR is filed against those who committed this crime in Uttarakhand and that action is taken under the SC/ST Act," she said in a post in Hindi on social media.
The Congress general secretary alleged that people associated with the BJP-RSS had "purified" the stage after Kharge's August 8 rally at Ramlila Maidan in Haldwani, calling the act a violation of the Constitution and the SC/ST Act.
Priyanka also shared a video of Rahul Gandhi's press conference on Saturday in which the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha made a similar demand. Rahul Gandhi described the incident as an expression of "untouchability" and accused the BJP-RSS of perpetuating such a mindset.
Gandhi also criticised Uttarakhand BJP president Mahendra Bhatt for allegedly defending the purification ceremony and questioned why no FIR had been registered despite nearly 20 days having passed.
The Congress has accused Bhatt of justifying the ceremony. Bhatt had reportedly said the venue was polluted by slogans that were inappropriate for a religious place.
The alleged purification ceremony was conducted at Ramlila Maidan after Kharge addressed a gathering there on August 8. Uttarakhand Congress chief Ganesh Godiyal has alleged that the Shri Ram Sena conducted the ceremony and was associated with the BJP, a charge denied by the ruling party.
Kharge had raised the issue in the Rajya Sabha earlier this month, demanding that cases be registered under laws prohibiting untouchability and that those responsible be arrested.
Leader of the House and Union minister J P Nadda had said the BJP did not support such activities and that the incident would be investigated.
