HALDWANI — Senior Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has been booked by the Uttarakhand Police following a complaint alleging that his public statements regarding a post-rally ceremony in Haldwani promoted caste division and misrepresented a local religious ritual.
The FIR was lodged at the Haldwani police station by Amit Kumar, a representative of the Shri Ram Sena Dharmarth Seva Nyas and a member of the Valmiki community.
Key Highlights of the Legal & Political Dispute
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Statutory Charges: The complaint invokes sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) pertaining to the promotion of enmity between groups and outraging religious sentiments, alongside provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
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Trigger Event: The dispute centers on an August 11 “purification yajna” conducted at the Ramlila Ground in Haldwani, three days after Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge addressed a public meeting at the location.
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Complainant’s Stand: Kumar stated that the ceremony was a routine religious cleanliness drive undertaken by local citizens from various social backgrounds—including Scheduled Castes—and denied any caste-motivated intent targeted at Kharge.
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Opposing Standpoints: During an August 29 press briefing in New Delhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra condemned the ritual as an anti-Dalit act practicing untouchability, demanding legal prosecution of the organizers. Local organizers and BJP leaders countered that the ritual was merely intended to clean up litter and restore the grounds.
