Nainital Police File FIR Over Purification Ritual at Mallikarjun Kharge Rally Venue
2 sources · India
Who reported this
- The Hindu
- The Indian Express
What the colours mean
- Left
- Centre-left
- Centre
- Centre-right
- Right
- A hatched block means the outlet is affiliated with, or controlled by, a state.
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Every source for this story reports from India.
The Nainital Police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) against unknown persons for conducting a purification ritual, known as shuddhikaran, at the Ramlila ground in Haldwani. The ritual took place on August 11, following a rally addressed by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on August 8. The FIR was lodged on September 8, 2026, following a complaint by Congress worker Anju and other petitions. The case includes charges under Sections 196 and 299 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 3(1)(R) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Members of the Shri Ram Sena Dharmarth Seva Nyas Sangathan performed the yagna, which was captured in a viral video. The Congress party alleged the act was motivated by Mr. Kharge's Dalit background. In contrast, the organizers denied any caste motive. BJP State president Mahendra Bhatt supported the ritual, claiming it was necessary because slogans raised at the venue had polluted the site associated with Lord Ram.
This legal action follows a period of political tension. Mr. Kharge raised the issue in the Rajya Sabha, demanding arrests under untouchability laws. Meanwhile, police previously filed a case against Rahul Gandhi over his remarks regarding the ritual, based on a complaint from members of the Shri Ram Sena Dharmarth Seva Nyas. The FIR against the unknown persons was registered shortly before a scheduled visit by Mr. Gandhi to Uttarakhand on September 11 and 12.
How each side framed it
- Centre-left
- The center-left lean emphasized the caste-based motivations and the political conflict between the Congress and BJP.
- Centre
- The center lean focused on the legal action and the filing of the FIR.
Sources
- Centre-left The Hindu: Nainital Police register FIR against ‘unknown persons’ for performing ‘purification’ of Mallikarjun Kharge’s rally venue
- Centre The Indian Express: Mallikarjun Kharge ‘shuddhikaran’ row: Month later, Uttarakhand police file FIR
- Centre The Indian Express: Row over Mallikarjun Kharge visit ‘purification’: Haldwani police file FIR against ‘unknown’ persons
100% of the statements in this article were traced back to the source articles listed above.