Mallikarjun Kharge urges JP Nadda for action over Haldwani purification ritual

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge urged Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha JP Nadda on Thursday to ensure immediate action regarding the alleged "purification" carried out at Ram Leela Maidan in Haldwani following a public meeting he addressed.

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.

In his letter, Kharge noted that even after 24 days, no FIR had been registered against the individuals and organisations allegedly responsible for the incident.

"This issue goes beyond me personally or my position as the President of the Indian National Congress; it is connected on a broader level to the sentiments of crores of people who continue to face this cruel reality every day. It is necessary to teach a lesson to such wrongdoers," Kharge wrote in the letter.

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.

"In light of these facts and the assurance given in the Rajya Sabha, you should direct the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand to ensure that a First Information Report is registered against the individuals and organisations involved in the incident of purification that took place at Ram Leela Maidan after my public meeting in Haldwani," the Congress president stated.

The controversy began after a Congress rally at Ramlila Ground in Haldwani on August 8, ahead of the 2027 Uttarakhand Assembly elections. 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.

Meanwhile, 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.

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.

Earlier, Rahul Gandhi described the purification ritual as "another name for untouchability" and demanded an FIR against those involved, alleging that the act violated constitutional values.