Rahul Gandhi Demands FIR Over Uttarakhand 'Purification' Ritual After Kharge Rally

Congress leader and former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday demanded the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act following a reported purification ritual at a public ground in Haldwani, Uttarakhand, where Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had addressed a public rally earlier this month.

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Gandhi described the reported shuddhikaran havan (purification ritual) at Ramlila ground in Haldwani as a “crime” and called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to order the filing of an FIR. Kharge held the “Vijay Shankhnaad” rally at the ground on August 8, 2026. Two days later, members of the Shri Ram Sena reportedly performed the purification ritual at the same site.

Gandhi stated that the Congress party is seeking justice for Kharge in Uttarakhand and emphasized that both the central and state governments have a duty to ensure justice is delivered. “It is the duty of the central and state governments to ensure that Kharge gets justice,” he said. He also asserted that Kharge “will get justice in Uttarakhand, whether it is today or tomorrow.”

The Congress leader played a video clip of Uttarakhand BJP president Mahendra Bhatt defending the ritual, claiming the ground was “polluted with slogans.” Gandhi commented, “If such a thing can be done against a senior person like Mallikarjun Kharge, imagine what can be done to a four-year-old in a school.”

Gandhi alleged that the incident reflects the mindset of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), stating, “They don’t want that Dalits live with dignity and success.” During the recent Monsoon Session of Parliament, Union Minister and former BJP national president J.P. Nadda condemned the incident in the Rajya Sabha and assured that an investigation would be pursued.

Responding to a question about Kharge’s remarks during the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting, Gandhi clarified that Kharge had not said many people failed to support him, but rather that “certain people didn’t support.” He reaffirmed his own support and that of others within the party.

When asked about the ongoing controversy surrounding the publication of former Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s memoir, Gandhi dismissed the question, saying, “That’s a digression, I am not interested,” and reiterated that the party’s focus remains on securing justice for Kharge.

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