NEW DELHI, Aug. 31: The Congress on Monday strongly criticised the BJP over the registration of an FIR against Rahul Gandhi in connection with his remarks on a ‘purification’ ritual held at a venue in Uttarakhand’s Haldwani after party president Mallikarjun Kharge addressed a public meeting there.
The opposition party said it would respond to the case through democratic and legal channels while maintaining that the incident reflected a wider struggle against caste-based discrimination.
Congress general secretary in-charge of Uttarakhand Kumari Selja questioned why no action had been taken against those who conducted the ritual, while a case was registered against Gandhi for speaking about the episode.
Selja alleged that the Uttarakhand BJP leadership had openly defended the ritual and accused the state government of targeting Gandhi after he demanded legal action against those responsible.
She described the development as an example of what she called the BJP-RSS’s “anti-Dalit and anti-Constitution” outlook.
According to Selja, Gandhi had raised concerns similar to those previously expressed by Kharge in Parliament, particularly over the alleged humiliation caused by the ritual and its perceived connection with untouchability.
She also questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence on the matter and said the Congress would not be intimidated by criminal cases or political pressure.
“This is the Gandhi family, which has a history of sacrifice and dedication for the country,” Selja said, asserting that neither legal cases nor the use of political power could silence the party.
She added that the Congress would continue to oppose what it described as a casteist mindset and would fight for the dignity of Dalits and protection of constitutional values.
Police said the case was registered after a complaint by Amit Kumar, a member of the Valmiki community in Haldwani. The complainant alleged that Gandhi had given a caste-related interpretation to a religious ritual conducted at the venue of Kharge’s programme.
The FIR invokes provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) relating to promoting enmity between groups and deliberate acts intended to outrage religious feelings. Provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, have also been included, according to police.
Kumar, a resident of Jawahar Nagar and a member of Shri Ram Sena Dharmarth Seva Nyas, said he was present during the ritual and cleanliness activity. He alleged that Gandhi’s comments at a press conference in New Delhi on August 29 had hurt the sentiments of members of the community.
The complainant further alleged that Gandhi portrayed those involved in the ritual as supporters of untouchability and opposed to Dalits. He maintained that people from different sections of society, including members of Scheduled Castes, participated in the activity and that it was unrelated to Kharge’s caste.
The controversy began after individuals allegedly conducted a ‘purification yajna’ at Ramlila Ground in Haldwani on August 11, three days after Kharge addressed a public meeting at the site.
The Congress criticised the ritual as an affront to Dalit dignity, while the BJP defended it, saying the venue had been left littered following the Congress event and alleging that inappropriate slogans had been raised at a religious site.
At his August 29 press conference, Gandhi condemned the episode and sought registration of a case under the SC/ST Act against those who conducted the ritual.
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also demanded action, calling the alleged incident shameful and asserting that it warranted scrutiny under the SC/ST Act.
The latest FIR has intensified the political confrontation between the Congress and BJP in Uttarakhand, with the opposition party vowing to pursue the matter through constitutional, legal and democratic means.