Kharge venue 'purification' row: FIR against Rahul Gandhi for ‘giving caste angle’
An FIR has been registered against Rahul Gandhi following his comments regarding a 'purification' ritual performed at a Congress rally venue in Uttarakhand. The complainant alleges that Gandhi's characterization of the event as an act of untouchability was false and intended to incite communal hostility.
Why it matters
This reflects the highly polarized nature of Indian political discourse, where religious rituals and caste-based allegations are frequently weaponized in legal and political battles.
DEHRADUN: In a fresh development in the controversy over an alleged purification ritual at the venue of a rally addressed by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in Haldwani, Uttarakhand, a case was registered against Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi at Kotwali police station on Sunday night.The FIR — lodged under BNS sections 196 and 299, along with section 3(1)(q) of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 — followed a complaint by Amit Kumar, a resident of Jawahar Nagar Colony in Haldwani and member of Shriram Sena Dharmarth Seva Samiti.Kumar, who belongs to the SC community, alleged that Gandhi gave a caste angle to routine cleaning work carried out at Ramlila Maidan on Aug 11, characterising the clean-up as an act of untouchability and a criminal offence during a news conference in Delhi.Kumar further alleged that caste sentiments were hurt by Gandhi’s statements.
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