Dehradun: In a fresh development in the controversy over an alleged purification ritual at the venue of a rally addressed by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in Haldwani, Uttarakhand, a case was registered against Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi at Kotwali police station on Sunday night.
The FIR — lodged under BNS sections 196 and 299, along with section 3(1)(q) of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 — followed a complaint by Amit Kumar, a resident of Jawahar Nagar Colony in Haldwani and member of Shriram Sena Dharmarth Seva Samiti. Kumar, who belongs to the SC community, alleged that Gandhi gave a caste angle to routine cleaning work carried out at Ramlila Maidan on Aug 11, characterising the clean-up as an act of untouchability and a criminal offence during a news conference in Delhi. On August 8, Kharge addressed a public gathering at the Ramlila Maidan.
Nainital SSP T C Manjunath confirmed the development, saying, “Amit submitted all the required evidence to substantiate his allegations, following which an FIR has been registered.
He asserted that Rahul Gandhi used “caste-indicative and insulting words against the Scheduled Caste” based on false and incomplete facts, thereby inciting hostility within the community. Members of the organisation stated that they conducted the ritual to counter slogans raised by Congress members during the rally, as well as a previous statement by Kharge in which he had “compared the BJP and RSS to a poisonous snake.” Kumar further alleged that caste sentiments were hurt by Gandhi’s statements. ASP Amit Saini will be heading the probe. Two days later, members of the right-wing group Shri Ram Sena Dharmarth Seva Nyas Sangathan performed a havan for the shuddhikaran (purification) of the grounds.
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Kharge subsequently raised the issue in Rajya Sabha, demanding that cases be registered under laws prohibiting untouchability against those who “purified” the stage in Haldwani, and that the individuals involved be arrested and jailed. The opposition party has since staged a series of protests across Uttarakhand over the issue. Download the TOI App.