New Delhi: The Congress on Monday slammed the BJP over the registration of an FIR against Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi for his remarks on a ‘shuddhikaran’ or purification ceremony conducted at a venue in Haldwani, Uttarakhand, where party chief Mallikarjun Kharge had recently addressed a rally.
The party said it would contest the case through constitutional and legal channels, maintaining that it would continue to oppose the caste-based prejudice that, it alleged, lay behind the incident.
Congress general secretary in charge of Uttarakhand Kumari Selja asked why the people who allegedly carried out the purification ritual had not faced any action, whereas Gandhi was booked after speaking 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 claimed that the Uttarakhand BJP president had publicly justified the ritual after it took place. The Congress leader also alleged that the BJP government had targeted Gandhi because he demanded legal proceedings against those responsible for the ceremony.
Selja termed the FIR an indication of what she described as the BJP-RSS’s “anti-Dalit and anti-Constitution” outlook. She said Gandhi had raised an issue that Kharge had himself referred to in Parliament, asserting that the incident had brought back the “sting of untouchability” and caused humiliation to the Congress president, as reported by The new Indian Express.
“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 PM Silent?’
Selja also questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence on the controversy.
“Why is Prime Minister Narendra Modi silent on this entire matter?” Selva asked.
The BJP and the RSS should not assume that the threat of criminal cases would force Gandhi or the Congress to retreat, 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.
Selja said the Congress would respond to the case through democratic and legal means.
“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.
Details Of Complaint
Police said on Sunday that the FIR against Gandhi was filed after a complaint by a member of the Valmiki community in Haldwani. The complainant alleged that Gandhi had portrayed a religious ritual conducted at the venue of the AICC president’s programme in a casteist manner.
The case has been registered under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita relating to the promotion of enmity between groups and deliberate acts intended to outrage religious feelings. Sections of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, have also been included, police said.
Amit Kumar, a Jawahar Nagar resident and member of the Shri Ram Sena Dharmarth Seva Nyas, said in his complaint at Haldwani police station that he had been present during the “ritual and cleanliness drive”. He alleged that remarks made by Gandhi at a press conference in Delhi on August 29 had offended the sentiments of the community.
Kumar alleged that Gandhi had described those linked to the ceremony as supporters of “untouchability” and as “anti-Dalit”.
The complainant said he belonged to the Scheduled Caste community and claimed that people from various sections, including members of Scheduled Castes, had taken part in the ritual. According to him, the ceremony had “no connection” with Kharge’s caste.