FIR against Rahul Gandhi over remarks on Haldwani ‘purification’ ritual

Haldwani: An FIR has been registered against Rahul Gandhi, following a complaint by a member of the Valmiki community in Haldwani alleging that the Congress leader gave a casteist spin to a religious ritual held at the venue of the AICC chief's programme, police said on Sunday.

The FIR has been registered under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) concerning the promotion of enmity between groups and deliberate acts intended to outrage religious feelings. The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, has also been invoked, police said.

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Amit Kumar, a resident of Jawahar Nagar and a Shri Ram Sena Dharmarth Seva Nyas member, claimed in the complaint filed at the Haldwani police station that he was present during the "ritual and cleanliness drive" and Gandhi's remarks made in Delhi at a press conference on August 29 hurt the sentiments of the community.

He accused Gandhi of portraying those associated with the ritual as practising "untouchability" and being "anti-Dalit".

In the complaint, Kumar claimed that he belongs to the Scheduled Caste community and that people from different sections of society, including Scheduled Castes, were involved in the ritual, which, according to him, had "no connection" with Congress president Mallkarjun Kharge's caste.

A political row erupted after some individuals allegedly performed a 'purification yajna' at the Ramlila Ground in Haldwani on August 11, following a public meeting held there by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on August 8.

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While the Congress has termed the incident a reflection of the BJP's anti-Dalit mindset, the BJP defended the action, claiming that the venue was left littered after Kharge's rally and that slogans were raised which were inappropriate for a religious site.

At a press conference in New Delhi on August 29, Gandhi criticised the incident and demanded registration of an FIR under the SC/ST Act against those responsible for the "purification".

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra subsequently joined the demand for action, describing the incident as a reflection of a "reprehensible and shameful mindset" and alleging that it amounted to a violation of the SC/ST Act.