Congress leaders in Kalaburagi protested the FIR on Rahul Gandhi for his comments on a ‘purification’ ritual post-Mallikarjun Kharge’s rally. The party demands the FIR’s withdrawal, threatening a nationwide protest if action isn’t taken.
Congress Protests FIR on Rahul Gandhi
Congress workers and leaders staged a protest on Tuesday against the FIR registered against Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, over his remarks regarding a “purification” ritual allegedly conducted after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge addressed a rally in Haldwani.
Speaking to ANI, Congress leader Kiran Deshmukh said the party had earlier protested at the same location after the alleged purification ritual was conducted following Kharge’s speech at a rally in Haldwani, Uttarakhand. “Today, the Kalaburagi District Congress organised a massive protest. Some time ago, at this very location, a ‘purification’ ritual was performed after our senior leader, AICC President and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge delivered a speech at a rally in Haldwani, Uttarakhand,” Deshmukh said.
‘Injustice and Untouchability’
He said the Congress had demanded action against those responsible for the alleged ritual but questioned the registration of an FIR against Rahul Gandhi after he raised the issue. “Recently, when our leader, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi raised this issue during a programme, an FIR was filed against him,” he said.
Deshmukh said Gandhi had raised the issue to highlight what he described as alleged injustice and untouchability faced by Dalits. “Rahul Gandhi raised the issue to highlight that if such things happen to a senior leader and President of the party, what must be the plight of an ordinary citizen or a common Dalit in a village?” he said.
He alleged that instead of taking action against those who performed the ritual, an FIR was registered against Gandhi. “Yet, when Rahul Gandhi raised the issue, an FIR was filed against him instead of action being taken against those who performed the ‘purification’ ritual,” Deshmukh said.
He warned that the Congress would intensify its protest if the FIR was not withdrawn. “I want to state that if the FIR is not withdrawn and action is not taken against the perpetrators in the coming days, we will launch a massive nationwide protest,” he said.
Details of the FIR
The protest came after Haldwani City Kotwali Police registered an FIR against Rahul Gandhi following a complaint over his remarks regarding the “shuddhikaran yajna” conducted at the venue where Kharge had addressed a Congress rally on August 8.
The FIR was registered on August 30 on a complaint filed by 26-year-old Amit Kumar, a resident of Jawahar Nagar Colony, Haldwani, and a member of the Valmiki community. Kumar is also an office-bearer of the Shri Ram Sena Dharmarth Seva Nyas organisation.
Police have invoked provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, including Sections 3(1)(r) and 3(1)(u), along with Section 196 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. Section 199 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, pertaining to jurisdiction, has also been cited in the FIR. Kumar alleged that Gandhi’s remarks hurt the sentiments of the Scheduled Caste community.
Rahul Gandhi’s Original Demand
Earlier, Rahul Gandhi had demanded immediate registration of an FIR under the SC/ST Act against those who allegedly carried out the purification ritual in Uttarakhand following Kharge’s visit.
Gandhi had alleged that the purification ritual was “another name for untouchability” and demanded action against those involved under the SC/ST Act. “This act violates the SC/ST Act. Performing a ‘purification’ ritual is a crime. Yet, no action has been taken. Therefore, we demand that an FIR be registered immediately against those who carried out this purification ritual in Uttarakhand,” Gandhi had said. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)