Rahul Gandhi Faces FIR Over Remarks On Haldwani ‘Purification’ Ritual

An FIR has been registered against Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi in Haldwani following a complaint over his remarks about a purported ‘purification yajna’ conducted at a venue where Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had addressed a public meeting earlier this month.

The complaint was filed by Amit Kumar, a member of the Valmiki community and Shri Ram Sena Dharmarth Seva Nyas, at the Haldwani police station.

Kumar alleged that Gandhi’s remarks about the ritual amounted to portraying those involved as practising untouchability and being “anti-Dalit”.

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According to police, the FIR invokes provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) relating to promoting enmity between groups and deliberate acts intended to outrage religious feelings.

Provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 have also been included.

The controversy dates back to August 11, when some individuals reportedly conducted what they described as a ‘purification yajna’ and cleanliness drive at the Ramlila Ground in Haldwani.

The ritual took place three days after Kharge addressed a Congress public meeting at the same venue on August 8.

The incident triggered a political confrontation between the Congress and the BJP.

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The Congress alleged that the ritual reflected an anti-Dalit mindset, while the BJP defended it, arguing that the ground had been left littered following the rally and that slogans inappropriate for a religious venue had allegedly been raised.

The issue escalated after Rahul Gandhi addressed a press conference in New Delhi on August 29, where he criticised the alleged purification ritual and demanded an FIR under the SC/ST Act against those responsible.

Gandhi described the incident as an expression of untouchability and questioned the treatment of Kharge, a senior Dalit Congress leader.

Kumar, however, has rejected that interpretation in his complaint. He claimed that people from different sections of society, including members of Scheduled Castes, had participated in the ritual and that it had no connection with Kharge’s caste.

He alleged that Gandhi had given the incident a caste-based interpretation and that his remarks had hurt the sentiments of the community.

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also demanded action over the incident and criticised what she described as a reprehensible act.