Patna (Bihar) [India], September 1 : Bihar Congress President Rajesh Ram lashed out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the registration of an FIR against Rahul Gandhi, following the latter's remarks on the alleged 'purification' of a rally ground in Uttarakhand's Haldwani.
Speaking to ANI, Rajesh Ram demanded a public apology from the BJP, alleging that the act of "purifying" the ground after Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge's address was a direct insult to the Dalit community.
"Mallikarjun Kharge ji held a program in Haldwani, Uttarakhand. The way the ground was 'purified' after that event, implying the land was deemed 'impure' simply because a Dalit had addressed a public meeting there--is the very issue on which we first demand a public apology from the BJP," Ram said.
The Bihar Congress chief further stated that the FIR against Rahul Gandhi was an attempt to suppress the voice of those questioning caste-based discrimination.
"The BJP has registered an FIR against Rahul Gandhi because he raised this exact issue. We are staging a protest here regarding this matter. Instead of apologising for their mindset, they are trying to intimidate our leadership with legal actions," he added.
This came after Uttarakhand's Haldwani City Kotwali Police registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, following a complaint regarding his public statements about a purification ritual (shuddhikaran yajna) in Haldwani.
The FIR was registered on August 30 on a complaint by Amit Kumar, a member of the Valmiki community, who alleged that Rahul Gandhi's remarks hurt the sentiments of the Scheduled Caste community. Police invoked provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, including Sections 3(1)(r) and 3(1)(u) along with Section 196 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.
On August 8, Mallikarjun Kharge addressed a political rally at Haldwani's Ramlila Maidan. Two days later, members of a right-wing group, Shri Ram Sena, reportedly conducted a havan and sprinkled gangajal at the venue stage as part of what they described as a "purification" exercise.
The incident triggered a sharp political reaction from the Congress, which condemned the act and alleged that it reflected an "anti-Dalit mindset". The party also termed the incident a violation of constitutional protections against untouchability.
Kharge subsequently raised the issue in Parliament and demanded that those responsible for the alleged act be arrested and booked under the Untouchability (Offences) Act.