The Congress launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party after an FIR was registered against Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi over his recent remarks on a purification ritual allegedly conducted at the venue in Uttarakhand’s Haldwani where Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had addressed a party rally.
The FIR was registered following a complaint by a member of the Valmiki community in Haldwani, who alleged that Gandhi had given a casteist interpretation to a religious ritual.
“This is nothing but the pot calling the kettle black!” Congress general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal said in a post on X.
“What is worse is that the BJP has actually jumped in to defend this abhorrently casteist behaviour — showing to the entire world that they are the biggest perpetrators of social injustice today,” he alleged.
At a press conference on August 29, Gandhi had demanded that BJP workers allegedly involved in the ‘purification’ ritual be prosecuted. He had described the practice as “anti-Dalit” and alleged that it promoted untouchability.
Venugopal accused the ruling party of using the “entire might of the state” to target those who speak out against atrocities against Dalits.
“We will not rest until the true culprits of the insult to Kharge ji are punished, and this frivolous FIR against Rahul ji is thrown in the dustbin,” he said.
Congress general secretary in-charge of Uttarakhand Kumari Selja also criticised the FIR, saying it reflected what she described as the BJP and RSS’s “anti-Dalit and anti-Constitution” mindset.
“Shri Rahul Gandhi ji raised the same question that Congress President Shri Mallikarjun Kharge ji himself had already raised in Parliament: that this act of ‘purification’ made him feel the sting of untouchability and humiliated him,” she said.
“But look at the BJP government’s approach. Raise questions about those who conducted the ‘purification’ — FIR. Talk about Dalit dignity — FIR. Raise your voice for the Constitution — FIR,” Selja said.
She asserted that the Congress would respond to the action through democratic and legal means.
The FIR invokes various 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 invoked.
The complainant, Amit Kumar, claimed that he belonged to the Scheduled Caste community and alleged that people from different sections of society, including members of Scheduled Castes, had participated in the ritual. He maintained that the ritual had “no connection” with Kharge’s caste.
