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The Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee will stage a massive demonstration and march from Dehradun's Parade Ground to the Chief Minister's residence on September 7 over the Haldwani 'purification' controversy.
The protest is aimed at demanding immediate action against those who conducted the purification ritual at Haldwani's Ramlila Ground, where Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge recently addressed a rally. The party is expected to demand action against BJP State President Mahendra Bhatt for allegedly justifying the act. Furthermore, the Congress will demand the immediate revocation of the FIR registered in Haldwani against Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, terming the case a malicious move targeting his push for social justice. According to the Congress, senior party leaders from Delhi will also join the major protest in Dehradun on September 7. This call of protest comes after Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge urged Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha JP Nadda on Thursday to ensure immediate action regarding the alleged "purification" carried out at Ram Leela Maidan in Haldwani following a public meeting he addressed. In a letter written to Nadda, Kharge sought to remind him of the assurance given by the Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha, and urged him to direct the Uttarakhand government to take action. In his letter, Kharge noted that even after 24 days, no FIR had been registered against the individuals and organisations allegedly responsible for the incident. "This issue goes beyond me personally or my position as the President of the Indian National Congress; it is connected on a broader level to the sentiments of crores of people who continue to face this cruel reality every day. It is necessary to teach a lesson to such wrongdoers," Kharge wrote in the letter. Kharge urged Nadda to direct Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami to ensure the registration of an FIR against those involved in the alleged purification ritual at Ram Leela Maidan following his public meeting in Haldwani. The controversy began after a Congress rally at Ramlila Ground in Haldwani on August 8, ahead of the 2027 Uttarakhand Assembly elections. Members of a right-wing group later conducted a shuddhikaran ritual at the venue, triggering criticism from Congress leaders. Kharge raised the matter in the Rajya Sabha, alleging that the ritual was linked to his identity as a Dalit leader and questioning whether such practices were acceptable in a democracy. Meanwhile, BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi rejected the allegations, stating that there was "no caste angle" to the incident and accusing the Congress of trying to create divisions in Hindu society. On August 30, an FIR was registered against Rahul Gandhi over his statements regarding the shuddhikaran yajna (purification ritual) conducted at the venue. The FIR was lodged following a complaint by Amit Kumar, a member of the Valmiki community, who alleged that Rahul Gandhi's remarks hurt the sentiments of the Scheduled Caste community. Police invoked provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, including Sections 3(1)(r) and 3(1)(u), along with Section 196 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.(ANI)
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