Uttarakhand Congress Workers File SC/ST Act Complaints Over Haldwani 'Purification' Row; FIR Against Rahul Gandhi Sparks Protests

Overlapping Complaints and Counter-Complaints

Congress workers in Uttarakhand on Monday filed complaints at police stations across the state, demanding registration of cases under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against those involved in a 'purification ritual' held in Haldwani. The development came after Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge addressed a rally there on August 8, following which a 'purification yagna' was performed at the Ramlila Ground on August 11, as reported by Times Now.

The complaints were lodged after Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, raised the matter on Saturday. However, an FIR was registered against him instead, based on a complaint by Haldwani resident Amit Kumar, who is also an office-bearer of the Shri Ram Sena Dharmarth Seva Nyas. Kumar alleged that Gandhi's remarks hurt the sentiments of the Valmiki community by linking the religious event and cleanliness drive to caste-based discrimination, according to reports from both Times Now and The Hindu.

The FIR, registered by Haldwani City Kotwali police on August 30, invokes provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita relating to promotion of enmity between groups and deliberate acts to outrage religious feelings, along with the SC/ST Act, as per Times Now's reporting.

Party Reactions and Protests

Congress spokesperson Pratima Singh said the party had been demanding action against those responsible for the alleged 'purification' since August 9, but no FIR had been registered until the one against Gandhi. She warned that if the party's complaints are not acted upon, Congress will stage a massive protest, with leaders from Delhi possibly participating.

In Kalaburagi, Karnataka, members and leaders of the District Congress Committee staged a protest on Tuesday against the FIR, burning tyres outside the Mini Vidhana Soudha, as reported by The Hindu. Congress leaders at the protest argued that Gandhi had sought action against those responsible for the ritual to highlight discrimination and untouchability faced by Dalits. They questioned why an FIR was registered against Gandhi rather than against those who allegedly conducted the ritual, and warned of a nationwide protest if the FIR was not withdrawn and action was not taken.

MLAs Y. Patil and R. Patil, MLC Jagdev Guttedar, and others were present at the Kalaburagi protest, according to The Hindu.

The Congress has linked the Haldwani event to Kharge's Dalit identity, calling it a reflection of the BJP's anti-Dalit mindset, as reported by Times Now. Those associated with the event, however, have dismissed the allegations, maintaining that the havan and cleanliness drive had no connection with caste.

Parallel BJP Protests

The BJP Scheduled Caste Morcha burnt effigies of Rahul Gandhi and demanded action against him, according to Times Now. This came as the political row over the ritual and the subsequent FIR continued to escalate.