Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi has demanded the registration of an FIR against those who performed a purification ritual at a ground in Uttarakhand, where Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge had held a rally earlier this month. The incident is alleged to be an act of untouchability and is being linked to the BJP.
On Saturday, Gandhi addressed a press conference in Delhi and stated that 20 days had passed since the incident at Ramlila Ground in Haldwani, but no action had been taken. He demanded that the FIR be registered under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes Prevention of Atrocities Act. Gandhi characterized the incident as 'an act of untouchability' against Kharge, disguised as ‘purification’.
Uttarakhand BJP chief Mahendra Bhatt was recorded justifying the act, saying the venue had been polluted by slogans. However, Bhatt clarified that the purification was not done against any person belonging to a Scheduled Caste.
The leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha further said that the incident showed the mindset of the BJP and its parent organisation, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. He accused them of practising untouchability despite it being prohibited by the Constitution.
Gandhi also claimed that it was the responsibility of the Centre and the state governments to ensure justice for Kharge, asserting that the Congress chief ‘will get justice in Uttarakhand, whether it is today or tomorrow’.
The purification ritual was performed by a group named Shri Ram Sena. The Congress’ Uttarakhand unit alleged that this group is associated with the BJP. However, the Hindutva party has denied links to the group and claimed that slogans shouted at Kharge’s rally had offended those who believed in Sanatana Dharma, a term some people use as a synonym for Hinduism.
Source:
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