No FIR even after 24 days: Kharge writes to Nadda, seeks action over ‘shuddhikaran’ row

New Delhi: Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday urged Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha and Union Minister J.P. Nadda to ensure that swift action is taken over the “Shuddhikaran (purification)” ritual, carried out at the Ram Leela Maidan in Haldwani following a public meeting addressed by him.

In a letter addressed to Nadda, Kharge recalled the assurance given by Nadda and urged him to direct the Uttarakhand government to take appropriate action against the organisations and individuals involved in the incident.

Kharge expressed concern over the fact that no FIR had been registered against those responsible for the alleged ritual even several days after the incident.

“I am astonished that even 24 days after the incident, not even an FIR has been registered against the organisations and individuals responsible for carrying out this despicable act in Haldwani. The most objectionable aspect of this episode was that at the very spot in Ramlila Maidan where I had addressed the rally, a ‘purification’ ritual was performed — an act contrary to the spirit of the Constitution of India and to human values,” Kharge said in the letter.

The Congress chief also reiterated the position expressed by Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi that the practice of ‘Shuddhikaran’ is directly associated with untouchability.

“There are numerous such examples; during the Mahad Satyagraha, when Babasaheb Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar drank water from the tank, individuals driven by caste arrogance performed a purification ritual involving the pouring of 108 pots of cow urine and cow dung amidst the chanting of mantras. Merely chanting mantras or performing a ‘havan’ does not sanctify a casteist purification ritual,” Kharge said.

He further argued that the matter should not be viewed merely as an issue involving him personally or his position as the Congress president, but as a larger question concerning people who continue to face caste-based discrimination.

“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.

The Congress chief subsequently urged Nadda to ask Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to ensure the registration of an FIR against those allegedly involved in conducting the purification ritual at the Ram Leela Maidan after his public meeting in Haldwani.

The controversy erupted after a group of people conducted a “purification” ritual at the Ramlila Ground in Haldwani following Kharge’s rally on August 8.

Kharge had raised the issue in the Rajya Sabha during the Monsoon Session of Parliament, alleging that the purification ritual was connected to his identity as a Dalit leader and questioning whether such an act was consistent with the values of a democratic society and the Constitution.

The allegations, however, have been rejected by the BJP, which said that there was “no caste angle” to the incident.

Later on August 30, an FIR was registered against Rahul Gandhi over his remarks concerning the ‘shuddhikaran’ ritual. The FIR was registered on the basis of a complaint filed by Amit Kumar, a member of the Valmiki community. Kumar alleged that Gandhi’s remarks regarding the ritual had 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, in connection with the case.

IANS