FIR Against Rahul Gandhi Over Kharge ‘Purification’ Row
An FIR has been registered against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Uttarakhand’s Haldwani following a complaint alleging that his remarks on the Mallikarjun Kharge “purification” controversy gave a caste-based interpretation to a religious ritual and hurt community sentiments.
FIR Filed Against Rahul Gandhi in Haldwani
Police registered the case after a complaint by Amit Kumar, a Haldwani resident and member of Shri Ram Sena Dharmarth Seva Nyas.
The FIR invokes provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita relating to promotion of enmity between groups and deliberate acts intended to outrage religious feelings. Provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act have also been invoked.
The registration of an FIR does not establish Gandhi’s guilt, and the allegations remain subject to investigation.
Complaint Challenges Rahul Gandhi’s Untouchability Claim
Kumar, who said he belongs to the Scheduled Caste community, alleged that Gandhi wrongly portrayed participants in the ritual as practising untouchability and being anti-Dalit.
He claimed people from different communities, including Scheduled Castes, participated in what he described as a religious ritual and cleanliness exercise that had no connection with Kharge’s caste.
Kharge ‘Purification’ Row Sparks Political Battle
The controversy began after a purification yajna was conducted at Haldwani’s Ramlila Ground on August 11, three days after Kharge addressed a Congress rally there.
At an August 29 press conference, Gandhi described the purification episode as another form of untouchability and demanded an FIR under the SC/ST Act against those responsible.
Congress has alleged that the incident reflected an anti-Dalit mindset. BJP leaders have disputed the caste interpretation, arguing that the ritual followed concerns over littering and allegedly inappropriate slogans at the venue.
