Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge has urged Union minister JP Nadda to take immediate action against those responsible for a purification ritual conducted at Ramlila Maidan in Haldwani, Uttarakhand, following his public meeting on August 8. Kharge emphasized that this matter resonates with the feelings of millions who face harsh realities daily. He also noted that, more than three weeks after the incident, no first information report (FIR) has been filed.
On Sunday, the Uttarakhand Police registered an FIR against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for referring to the purification ritual. The complainant in the case against Gandhi alleged he wrongly described the cleaning ritual as an act of untouchability and an atrocity against Dalits without verifying the facts. Kharge wrote that the issue is larger than him or the Congress. He added that whatever happened would certainly be investigated. Nadda condemned the ritual and promised the BJP chief will also look into it. He added that this was why he sought Parliament’s attention to the matter. Kharge urged Nadda to act on the assurance given in the House. “In light of these facts and the assurance given on the floor of the Rajya Sabha, I urge you to direct the chief minister of Uttarakhand to ensure that a First Information Report is registered against the individuals and organisations involved in this incident of purification that took place at Ramlila Maidan after my public meeting in Haldwani. The Congress has accused the state’s BJP government of being slow to act on complaints involving Dalit rights. It has increasingly used caste incidents to corner the BJP, framing them as evidence of a pattern. Kharge wrote that he intends to keep writing on the issue until the assurance given in the Rajya Sabha is honoured.
Because it reflected a mindset that continues to affect a section of society directly, kharge said he was raising the issue not out of personal grievance but.
“This issue is connected not just to me personally, or to my position as Congress president…,” he wrote in the letter dated September 2 (Wednesday) to Nadda in his capacity as Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha. Nadda said this was not sad for the Congress alone but for all of them. He said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) never supports this kind of activity. He said the hurt caused to Kharge’s sentiments is a matter of regret for all. The Congress has said it will continue to pursue the matter until an FIR is filed.
