Varanasi police book MPs Rahul Gandhi, Pappu Yadav and Awadesh Prasad for 'insulting Sanatan Dharma'
Varanasi police have filed an FIR against opposition MPs Rahul Gandhi, Pappu Yadav, and Awadhesh Prasad for allegedly insulting Sanatan Dharma during a protest. The complaint, filed by a religious leader, stems from a skit performed by the MPs regarding alleged theft at the Ram Temple.
Why it matters
This reflects the ongoing political tensions in India regarding religious sentiment, freedom of expression, and the use of legal mechanisms against political opponents.
A First Information Report (FIR) has been registered at Kotwali police station in Varanasi on Saturday (August 1, 2026) against Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and two Members of Parliament — Pappu Yadav and Awadhesh Prasad — for allegedly insulting Sanatan Dharma and hurting religious sentiments during an Opposition protest in Parliament. The FIR was filed under Sections 299 and 302 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The police registered the case around 2 p.m. on Saturday (August 1, 2026), acting on a complaint filed by Jagadguru Balak Das, the head of Patalpuri Math. In the petition, the complainant alleged that deliberate and malicious acts were performed, intended to outrage religious feeling outside the Parliament House in New Delhi.
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