Kharge urges Nadda to ensure FIR over ‘purification’ at Haldwani rally venue

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has written to Rajya Sabha leader of the House J.P. Nadda, urging him to direct Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to ensure registration of an FIR over the alleged “purification” of a venue in Haldwani following his public meeting last month.

Kharge said the incident at Ramlila Maidan, where he addressed a rally on 8 August, was linked to the issue of untouchability and urged authorities to take action against those responsible.

In his 2 September letter, Kharge reminded Nadda of his assurance in the Rajya Sabha on 13 August that the incident would be investigated and strict action taken against anyone found guilty.

Kharge said he was surprised that 24 days after the alleged incident, no FIR had been registered against the individuals or organisations involved.

He argued that the alleged purification ritual was contrary to the spirit of the Constitution and human values, and said the issue went beyond him or the Congress president’s office.

“This issue transcends my personal self or the office of the Indian National Congress president,” Kharge said, adding that it concerned millions of people who continue to face discrimination linked to caste.

The controversy has escalated after an FIR was registered against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his remarks on the alleged purification ritual.

Rahul Gandhi had criticised the incident at a press conference in New Delhi on 29 August and demanded that a case be registered under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against those responsible.

The FIR followed a complaint by a member of the Valmiki community in Haldwani, who alleged that Rahul Gandhi had given a casteist interpretation to a religious ritual during his remarks.

Congress has described the case against Rahul Gandhi as an attempt to divert attention from the alleged purification and has demanded action against those who carried it out. Congress workers have held protests in several parts of Uttarakhand and submitted complaints seeking cases under the SC/ST Act.

The BJP, meanwhile, has accused Congress of politicising the issue ahead of the Uttarakhand Assembly elections and has criticised Gandhi over his remarks.

The BJP has also rejected the Congress' allegations and accused Rahul Gandhi of being “anti-Dalit”.

In his letter, Kharge invoked B.R. Ambedkar’s Mahad Satyagraha, recalling that caste-based opposition accompanied the Dalit leader’s assertion of the right to access public water.

Kharge argued that rituals such as chanting mantras or conducting a havan could not legitimise what he described as a caste-based act of “purification”.

He urged Nadda to act on his assurance in Parliament and ensure that an FIR is registered against those allegedly involved in the Haldwani incident.

The dispute has now widened into a political confrontation between the Congress and BJP, with both sides accusing the other of exploiting the controversy for political purposes.

With PTI inputs