Uttarakhand Congress is set to ‘gherao’ the CM’s residence on Sep 7 over the Haldwani ‘purification’ row. The party demands action against those who conducted the ritual after a rally by Mallikarjun Kharge and the revocation of an FIR against Rahul Gandhi.
Congress Plans Protest Over ‘Purification’ Row
Ahead of the planned protest by Uttarakhand Congress near the Chief Minister’s residence on September 7 over the Haldwani “purification” controversy , party in-charge Kumari Selja on Sunday visited the Parade Ground to take stock of preparations. She interacted with Congress office-bearers. State Congress president Ganesh Godiyal, state co-in-charges Surendra Sharma and Manoj Yadav, state vice-president Rajiv Maharshi, state general secretary (organisation) Rajendra Bhandari, state spokesperson Pratima Singh, and other senior Congress leaders were also present.
The party plans “gherao” protest at the Chief Minister’s residence. The protest is aimed at demanding immediate action against those who conducted the “purification ritual” at Haldwani’s Ramlila Ground, where Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge recently addressed a rally. The party is expected to demand action against BJP State President Mahendra Bhatt for allegedly justifying the act.
The Congress is also demanding immediate revocation of the FIR registered in Haldwani against Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and has termed the case a malicious move targeting his push for social justice.
Kharge Seeks Central Intervention
Kharge urged Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha JP Nadda on Thursday to ensure immediate action on the matter. In a letter written to Nadda, Kharge sought to remind him of the assurance given by the Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha and urged him to direct the Uttarakhand government to take action.
Kharge noted that even after 24 days, no FIR had been registered against the individuals and organisations allegedly responsible for the incident. Kharge urged Nadda to direct Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to ensure the registration of an FIR against those involved in the alleged purification ritual at Ram Leela Maidan following his public meeting in Haldwani.
Background of the Controversy
The controversy began after a Congress rally at Ramlila Ground in Haldwani on August 8. Members of a right-wing group later conducted a shuddhikaran ritual at the venue, triggering criticism from Congress leaders. Kharge raised the matter in the Rajya Sabha, alleging that the ritual was linked to his identity as a Dalit leader and questioning whether such practices were acceptable in a democracy. BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi rejected the allegations, stating that there was “no caste angle” to the incident and accusing the Congress of trying to create divisions in Hindu society.
FIR Against Rahul Gandhi
On August 30, an FIR was registered against Rahul Gandhi over his statements regarding the shuddhikaran yajna (purification ritual) conducted at the venue. The FIR was lodged following 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. (ANI)
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