Bhubaneswar: Youth Congress held a protest march Wednesday, seeking withdrawal of the FIR registered against the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, over his remarks on an alleged caste-based ‘purification’ ritual at a venue in Uttarakhand.
An FIR was registered against Gandhi based on a complaint from a member of the Valmiki community in Uttarakhand’s Haldwani, who alleged that the Congress leader gave a casteist spin to a religious ritual held at the venue of Mallikarjun Kharge’s programme.
Several Youth Congress members, led by state president Ranjit Patra took out the protest march from Congress Bhawan towards the state BJP headquarters here. However, police personnel prevented them midway, resulting in a scuffle between them.
Police detained several Youth Congress protestors and later released them, said a police officer.
The Congress workers burnt effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and Manusmriti during the protest.
Patra alleged that the BJP-led central government hatched a conspiracy to abolish the Constitution made by Ambedkar and replace it with Manusmriti.
“The government is not following the Constitution; instead, the instructions of Manusmriti are being followed,” he alleged.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge was insulted by the BJP and its supporters because Kharge ji belongs to the Dalit community, he further alleged.
“Kharge ji is not only the Congress President, he is also the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha. If the BJP can insult the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha like this, then it is a matter of concern what is happening to the common Dalits in the country under the BJP rule,” Patra said.
The Congress leaders said the issue arose after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge addressed the ‘Vijay Shankhnaad Rally’ at Ramlila Maidan in Haldwani, Nainital August 8 as part of the party’s preparations for the 2027 Uttarakhand Assembly elections.
Two days later, members of Shri Ram Sena Dharmarth Seva Nyas Sangathan conducted a ‘Shuddhikaran Havan’ at the same venue, including on the stage used by Kharge, they said.
On August 29, Gandhi sought an FIR against those responsible and demanded action under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, describing the incident as an example of untouchability and discrimination. An FIR was registered against him the following day over his remarks.
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