Karnataka Congress leaders on Tuesday came together to condemn the FIR registered against Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi over his remarks on the alleged ‘purification’ of a rally venue in Haldwani after it was visited by Mallikarjun Kharge.
The meeting in support of the party president and the LoP was attended by Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar, former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Karnataka Congress president B. K. Hariprasad, ministers T. J. George, Krishna Byre Gowda, Shivalinge Gowda, H. C. Balakrishna, and Madhu Bangarappa, besides Yatheendra Siddaramaiah and AICC secretary for Karnataka Gopinath Palainappan.
The controversy began after a “shuddhikaran” (purification) ritual was conducted at Haldwani’s Ramlila Ground following a Congress rally addressed by Kharge. Congress leaders alleged that the ritual amounted to caste discrimination because Kharge is a Dalit. The organisers, however, rejected the caste angle and said the ritual was conducted because of what they described as filth left on the stage after the rally.
Rahul Gandhi subsequently criticised the ritual, calling it an act of untouchability and caste discrimination. He demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi order an FIR against those responsible under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
An FIR was later registered against Gandhi in Haldwani following a complaint alleging that he had given a casteist angle to the ritual. The Congress has called the action politically motivated.
Siddaramaiah accused the BJP and “Manuvadis” of being opposed to the Constitution and said he would suggest that the Congress hold protests against the FIR in every district of Karnataka.
Shivakumar described Gandhi as a “born fighter” and said the Congress leader would continue to fight against discrimination.
“The fight against discrimination is an issue about humanity,” Shivakumar said, adding that he had visited Uttarakhand and believed the BJP would not return to power there.
Hariprasad urged Congress workers to protest in front of BJP offices and show black flags to BJP leaders. He said Gandhi’s fighting spirit came from a family that had sacrificed its life for the country.
Municipal Administration Minister H. C. Balakrishna warned that if the FIR was not withdrawn, Congress workers would “cleanse” places visited by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Karnataka.
The Congress leaders also sought to turn the controversy into a larger issue of caste discrimination and constitutional values, while reiterating their support for Kharge, a senior Dalit leader from Karnataka.
Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara, another prominent Congress leader from the Dalit community, was absent from the meeting as he was overseeing the drought situation in Nanjangud in Mysuru district.
The Karnataka Congress is using the controversy to counter the BJP, which is currently undertaking a ‘Ballari Chalo’ Padayatra from Raichur to Ballari to sustain the momentum it gained from its recent protests against former minister B. Nagendra, whom the BJP has accused of diverting funds meant for the development of Dalits.
