New Delhi, 31 August (H.S.): Congress leaders have launched a sharp attack on the BJP and the Uttarakhand government over the registration of an FIR against Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi in connection with the alleged “purification” ritual conducted after a public meeting addressed by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in Haldwani, Uttarakhand.

Congress leaders alleged that no action had been taken against those who carried out the alleged purification ritual, while a case was registered against Rahul Gandhi for speaking out against the incident.

Congress general secretary Kumari Selja said in a post on social media platform X that no action had been taken against those who allegedly conducted the purification ritual following Kharge’s public meeting, while an FIR was registered against Rahul Gandhi for raising his voice against the alleged casteist act. She questioned whether this was the government’s idea of justice.

She said the alleged purification ritual was conducted first, after which the Uttarakhand BJP president openly defended it. Now, when Rahul Gandhi demanded legal action against those responsible, a case had instead been registered against him.

She alleged that this was not an ordinary incident but a serious example of what she described as the government’s “anti-Dalit” and “anti-Constitution” mindset. She said Rahul Gandhi had raised the same issue that Kharge himself had highlighted in Parliament.

Kharge had said in Parliament that the incident had made him feel as though he had been subjected to untouchability and that he had been deeply humiliated.

Rajya Sabha Deputy Leader of the Opposition Pramod Tiwari described the FIR against Rahul Gandhi as a harsh decision by the government. He alleged that the action exposed the BJP’s alleged anti-Dalit mindset and indicated that the party was politically apprehensive of Rahul Gandhi.

Congress MP Randeep Singh Surjewala said the BJP government had “shown its true face” by registering an FIR against Rahul Gandhi. He said Kharge had publicly stated, both inside and outside Parliament, that the alleged purification of the stage following his speech had deeply hurt his sentiments.

Surjewala further alleged that, on the other hand, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and even the BJP’s national general secretary had made statements seeking to justify the incident. He said Dalits and other disadvantaged sections of society across the country were fighting for dignity and equal rights, which he described as their constitutional entitlement.

He said that when Rahul Gandhi raised his voice against such discrimination, an FIR was instead registered against him.

Congress MP Pawan Khera said the FIR against Rahul Gandhi should not be allowed to become the central issue. According to him, the real issue was the alleged purification ritual carried out in Haldwani.

Khera questioned the intentions of the BJP and the Uttarakhand government, saying that an FIR was promptly registered against the person who spoke out against the alleged purification, while no FIR had so far been filed against those who allegedly carried out or facilitated the ritual.

Congress MP Imran Masood told reporters that if someone had allegedly felt that the venue had become “impure” after Kharge’s visit and therefore conducted a purification ritual, Kharge had already raised the matter in Parliament. He said senior BJP leaders had also issued statements on the incident, yet no FIR had been registered against those who allegedly carried out the purification.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar