New Delhi, 29 August— In a determined attack on the ruling RSS-BJP ecosystem, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi today demanded an FIR against those involved in the alleged ‘shuddhikaran’ (purification) ceremony at a Haldwani venue where Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge addressed a rally, calling the sordid episode a “crime” and urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene.
The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha accused the BJP-RSS of promoting a mindset that seeks to prevent Dalits from progressing, living with dignity and achieving success.
Gandhi said this incident shows the BJP-RSS mindset that they do not want the Dalits to progress, live with respect and be successful.
“We are demanding justice for the Congress president. Give the Congress president justice in Uttarakhand. It is the duty of the central and state governments to ensure that Kharge gets justice,” he said at a press conference at the AICC headquarter in the union capital.
The Congress leader also accused Uttarakhand BJP chief Mahendra Bhatt of defending the alleged purification ceremony and said 20 days had passed since the “crime” without any action.
We demand that an FIR be lodged against those who have done this. PM Modi states that he belongs to every caste and is the prime minister of the country, but his party chief of Uttarakhand defends shuddhikaran,” Rahul said.
“It is the RSS people who did it, and the PM should order an FIR under the SC/ST Act against these people,” Rahul Gandhi said, asserting that the Congress would ensure justice for its party president.
“There is a fight between two ideologies — the Constitution given by the likes of BR Ambedkar, Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru on one side, and the BJP-RSS on the other side,” he said.
Rahul alleged that discrimination against Dalits continues across the country despite constitutional safeguards.
For thousands of years, violence was perpetrated against Dalits. This is illegal under the constitution, but today also in schools, Dalit children are made to clean toilets. This is the reality of the country,” Rahul said.
“Dalits are not allowed to drink water from wells. In tea shops, there are two cups — paper ones for Dalits and glass ones for others. In a Baraat in India, a Dalit groom wears a helmet as he could be beaten up for riding a horse. This is the reality in the country,” Rahul said.
Citing Congress president Kharge, Rajasthan Congress leader Tikaram Jully and NDA minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, who have reportedly faced ‘purification’ situations at different times, Rahul said attacks become more severe when a Dalit person achieves greater success.
This is another name for untouchability.
“The BJP people practice untouchability. When they do shuddhikaran, they say that Dalits cannot touch as they are impure,” Rahul said.
Rahul said the purification ceremony took place on August 10, two days after Kharge’s rally at Ramlila Maidan in Haldwani on August 8.
“They did shuddhikaran on August 10, two days after the rally of Kharge ji in Haldwani. This is a crime. On August 13, Kharge ji raised this issue in Parliament,” Rahul recalled.
The Congress on Thursday accused Uttarakhand BJP chief Mahendra Bhatt of “justifying” the purification ceremony and questioned whether the ruling party would take action against him for allegedly defending untouchability.
Bhatt had reportedly said the venue was polluted with slogans that were not fit for a religious place, while dismissing criticism of the ritual from the opposition.
The alleged purification ceremony took place at Ramlila Maidan in Haldwani, where Kharge addressed a gathering on August 8.
Uttarakhand Congress chief Ganesh Godiyal alleged that the Shri Ram Sena conducted the purification ceremony and was associated with the BJP. The ruling party has vehemently denied the charge.
Kharge had raised the issue in the Rajya Sabha earlier this month, demanding cases under the untouchability law against those involved and their arrest.
Leader of the House and Union minister J P Nadda said the BJP did not subscribe to such activities and that the incident would be investigated.
Veteran Journalist and Political Commentator
