Haldwani purification row: Valmiki community alleges complainant against Rahul Gandhi falsely used community name

Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India]: A fresh controversy has emerged in Uttarakhand's Haldwover the police complaint registered against Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, with members of the Valmiki community alleging that the complainant, identified as "Amit Valmiki", is actually Amit Kumar and has no connection with the community.

A delegation of Valmiki community members reached the local police station and submitted a written complaint, urging the police to conduct an impartial investigation and verify the identity and background of the person who filed the complaint against Gandhi.

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According to the community representatives, the complainant's name is Amit Kumar and not "Amit Valmiki". They alleged that he has no association with the Valmiki community and is the cousin of a local Bharatiya Janata Party leader.

The representatives further claimed that Amit Kumar had previously contested a municipal councillor election on a BJP ticket.

In their written complaint, the Valmiki community members alleged that Amit Kumar was falsely using the name "Amit Valmiki" and misusing the community's identity to serve his political interests.

The community representatives demanded that the police verify Amit Kumar's actual identity and ascertain whether he has any connection with the Valmiki community. They also sought strict legal action against anyone found using a false name or identity while filing police complaints.

Haldwani Superintendent of Police (SP) City Manoj Kumar Katyal said that further action would be taken on the basis of facts established during the investigation.

On August 30, Uttarakhand's Haldwani City Kotwali Police registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Rahul Gandhi following a complaint regarding his remarks about a "purification ritual" in Haldwani.

The complainant alleged that members of the Scheduled Caste community had themselves participated in cleaning the ground and conducting the ritual, and claimed that Gandhi's remarks mischaracterised their actions.

The complaint was filed by 26-year-old Amit Kumar, a resident of Jawahar Nagar Colony, Haldwani, and a member of the Valmiki community. Kumar serves as an office-bearer of the Shri Ram Sena Dharmarth Seva Nyas organisation.

Police have invoked provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, Section 3(1)(r) and Section 3(1)(u) along with Section 196 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, which deals with promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc. Section 199 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, pertaining to jurisdiction, has also been cited in the FIR.

Amit Kumar alleged that Rahul Gandhi's remarks hurt the sentiments of the Scheduled Caste community.

According to the complaint, Rahul Gandhi had, on August 29, described a 'shuddhikaran yajna' conducted at Haldwani's Ramlila Ground as an act of untouchability and anti-Dalit discrimination. The organisers have denied that the ritual had any caste-based motive.

Meanwhile, Congress on Monday marched from Parade Ground to the Chief Minister's residence, demanding action against those responsible for the "purification" ritual conducted at Haldwani's Ramlila Maidan following Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's rally.