New Delhi, Aug 2026 : Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Saturday demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi direct authorities to register an FIR against those allegedly involved in the “shuddhikaran” or purification of the Ramlila ground in Haldwani after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge addressed a public meeting there.
Gandhi described the controversy as part of a larger ideological battle between the Constitution and the ideology of the RSS-BJP. He alleged that the incident reflected discrimination against Dalits and urged the government to initiate action under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Addressing a press conference, Gandhi said, “Whatever politics is taking place in the country today is, in one way or another, a contest between these two ideologies.”
The Congress leader alleged that Dalit individuals face stronger attacks as they achieve greater success and cited what he described as several examples of such discrimination. He referred to incidents involving Rajasthan Congress Legislature Party leader Tikaram Julie, former Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi and Kharge.
“The more successful a Dalit person becomes, the more forcefully they are attacked. This happens to millions of people every day. When our Rajasthan Congress CLP, Tikaram Julie, goes to a temple, BJP leaders perform purification rituals. When Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge goes to Haldwani’s Ramlila Maidan to deliver a speech, purification rituals are performed there. When former Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi goes to a temple, purification rituals are performed there too,” Gandhi said.
He alleged that members of the BJP and RSS were responsible for such actions and argued that “shuddhikaran” amounted to a form of untouchability.
“This is done by BJP-RSS members, and it is a crime under the Indian Constitution. The word ‘Shuddhikaran (purification)’ is just another word for untouchability,” the Leader of Opposition said.
According to Gandhi, Kharge addressed a rally at the Haldwani Ramlila Maidan on August 8, following which BJP-RSS members allegedly carried out purification rituals at the venue on August 10. He further claimed that the Uttarakhand BJP chief had described the action as appropriate.
Gandhi questioned why no action had allegedly been taken despite the passage of around 20 days. He said that if the incident constituted an offence under the SC/ST Act, authorities should initiate proceedings against those responsible.
“Our demand is that an FIR be filed against those who carried out purification in Uttarakhand. Narendra Modi says he belongs to every caste, but the BJP chief in Uttarakhand is saying that the purification was done rightly,” he said.
Gandhi specifically urged Prime Minister Modi to direct the authorities to initiate proceedings under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
“We want that Prime Minister Modi should order that action be taken under the SC/ST Act against those who carried out purification. Today the fight is between the Constitution and the ideology of the BJP-RSS, and the purification incident reflects their mentality,” he said.
The Congress leader further accused the BJP-RSS of opposing the social and economic advancement of Dalits and said there was a contradiction between their public statements and actions.
“The BJP-RSS do not want the Dalits of the country to progress, succeed, and live with dignity. In other words, there is a clear difference between their words and actions,” Gandhi alleged.
He said the issue should not be viewed merely as a controversy involving Kharge but as one affecting Dalits across the country. Gandhi warned that if an incident involving a senior national political leader could allegedly take place openly, the situation faced by ordinary Dalits, including children, could be even more serious.
“This isn’t just an issue for Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, but it concerns every Dalit in India. If our National President can be treated like this so openly and without hesitation, imagine what might be happening to a child in school? This is unacceptable to us,” he said.
Gandhi reiterated that the Congress would continue its fight against what he described as the discriminatory ideology of the BJP-RSS.
He also promised that the party would pursue action against those allegedly responsible for the incident, irrespective of whether the BJP-led government initiated proceedings.
“We will ensure action is taken against the culprits. Even if the BJP fails to act, the entire Congress party will not let that man escape - I guarantee it,” Gandhi asserted.
The allegations have added another political dimension to the ongoing confrontation between the Congress and the BJP over issues of caste discrimination, constitutional rights and the ideological differences between the two parties.
