New Delhi, 29 September (H.S.): Congress MP Dr. Mallu Ravi has said the party will launch a nationwide Dalit-Adivasi self-respect campaign over the alleged ‘purification’ ritual conducted in Haldwani, Uttarakhand, following a public meeting addressed by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. He said Congress legislators and elected representatives from the Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities would hold meetings across the states to discuss the issue and chalk out the party’s future strategy.

Speaking to Hindusthan Samachar on Tuesday, Mallu Ravi said the Congress viewed the Haldwani incident not merely as an insult to Mallikarjun Kharge, but as an issue concerning the dignity and honour of the entire SC-ST community. He said that around 22 MPs had approached the Parliament Street Police Station on September 8 and sought the registration of a Zero FIR. According to him, the police officials did not register a Zero FIR, following which the MPs staged a protest at the police station for around three-and-a-half hours. The MPs were subsequently informed that an FIR had already been registered in Haldwani in connection with the matter. Ravi said that registration of an FIR alone was not sufficient and that the allegations must also be investigated and appropriate action taken against those accused.

Mallu Ravi said that MPs, former MPs, MLAs, former MLAs and ministers from Congress-ruled states, along with office-bearers of the party’s SC and ST departments, were participating in the Dalit-Adivasi Self-Respect meeting held on September 29. He said the meeting discussed the adoption of a unanimous resolution to stand with Kharge and to pursue the demand for an investigation and action in the Haldwani case. He added that the party planned to organise similar meetings in every state.

He emphasised that the campaign was not directed against any other community, but was intended as a democratic struggle for justice, equal respect, dignity, liberty and equality guaranteed under the Constitution. He said the future course of action would be determined after taking the views of MPs, MLAs, state Congress presidents and ministers into account. He also indicated that a large gathering could be organised at Talkatora Stadium in the last week of November.

Responding to the contention that the alleged purification ritual in Haldwani was part of a local religious tradition, Ravi said Ramlila grounds were routinely used by political parties of all affiliations for public meetings and political speeches. He alleged that the seriousness of the incident could not be diminished by describing it merely as a local religious ritual. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, however, has said that the havan conducted in Haldwani was not directed against any individual or caste.

On the FIR registered against Rahul Gandhi,Mallu Ravi said the Congress would demand that it be withdrawn and quashed. He said Gandhi was only seeking justice in the matter and demanding action against those accused.

On women’s reservation,Mallu Ravi said the Congress supported the reservation policy and wanted it to be implemented independently of the delimitation exercise. He said women belonging to the SC, ST and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) should also receive their due share within the women’s reservation framework.

Referring to concerns raised by southern states over delimitation, he said altering the allocation of parliamentary seats solely on the basis of population could adversely affect states that had effectively implemented family-planning measures. He demanded that there should not be an excessive change in the existing disparity in the allocation of seats among states following delimitation. He also called upon the Centre to ensure a democratic and equitable distribution of financial resources, budgetary allocations and powers among the states.

On the proposal for ‘One Nation, One Election’, Mallu Ravi said the Congress would oppose it. He argued that in a federal system, governments in different states could fall at different times because of differing political circumstances, resulting in elections being held at different points in time. According to him, any electoral framework must remain consistent with the principles of parliamentary democracy.

On the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, Mallu Ravi alleged that the Congress had repeatedly sought clarification from the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister on the issue throughout the parliamentary session but had received no response. Referring to reports concerning the decision-making process within the Election Commission, he levelled several serious allegations and claimed that the SIR exercise was being used to influence voters perceived to be supportive of the Opposition. He further alleged that artificial intelligence was being used to identify voters’ political preferences and remove those perceived to support the Opposition from electoral rolls.

On the caste census and the demand to remove the 50 per cent ceiling on reservations, Mallu Ravi said the Congress would continue its political campaign on the issue. He said the Telangana Assembly had passed a resolution relating to the caste survey and forwarded it to the Central government. He argued that a caste census should incorporate various categories of Other Backward Classes, along with employment, political representation and other socio-economic indicators. He stressed the need for scientifically collected and reliable data.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar