Rahul Gandhi Demands FIR Over Purification Ritual Following Mallikarjun Kharge Rally

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to order the registration of a first information report against individuals who performed a purification ritual at Ramlila Maidan in Haldwani, Uttarakhand. The ritual took place after Congress president and Dalit leader Mallikarjun Kharge addressed a public meeting at the venue on August 8. Gandhi described the act as a crime and an expression of untouchability, urging that the case be filed under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. He framed the incident as a conflict between the Indian Constitution and the ideologies of the BJP and RSS.

BJP leaders and government officials have denied any official connection to the ritual. Union Minister of State Ajay Tamta stated that the cleaning was carried out by a religious organization to remove litter and was not ordered by the government. Uttarakhand minister Khajan Das added that the BJP dissociates itself from the incident and accused the Congress of attempting to mislead the Dalit community. Some reports indicate the ritual was performed by a group called Shri Ram Sena, which the Congress alleges is associated with the BJP.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor supported the demand for justice, stating that the incident reflects a discriminatory mindset within the BJP leadership. Rahul Gandhi also played a video in which the BJP Uttarakhand chief reportedly supported the purification, further alleging that such acts are a systemic issue facing Dalits across India. The BJP has maintained that the ritual was a private affair of a religious organization and not a party activity.