Police File FIR Against Rahul Gandhi Over Casteist Remarks

Police in Haldwani, Uttarakhand, registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, following a complaint by Amit Kumar of the Shri Ram Sena Dharmarth Seva Nyas. The case was filed under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, and Section 196 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, alleging that Gandhi used casteist and insulting language during a New Delhi press conference on August 29.

The legal action stems from a dispute over a purification ritual performed on August 11 at the Ramlila Ground in Haldwani. The ritual followed an August 8 rally held by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge. Amit Kumar, a member of the Valmiki community, asserted the ritual was a religious act to restore sanctity and clean litter left after the rally, denying any connection to caste. He alleged that Gandhi's characterization of the event as an act of untouchability and anti-Dalit discrimination hurt the sentiments of the Scheduled Caste community.

In response, Rahul Gandhi and MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra demanded an FIR against those who performed the ritual, calling it a violation of the SC/ST Act. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra described the purification as a symbol of an extremely reprehensible and shameful mindset. The BJP defended the ritual, citing inappropriate slogans and litter at the site, and accused the Congress party of attempting to create divisions within Hindu society.