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Senior Congress leader Pawan Khera on Saturday said that party president Mallikarjun Kharge was subjected to "untouchability" during the latter's visit to Uttarakhand. He demanded that an FIR be filed against all the culprits.
Khera was referring to the alleged 'shuddhikaran' (purification) ritual performed at Ramlila Maidan in Haldwani following Kharge's visit. In a post on X, he said the alleged incident amounted to an offence under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. "What Shri Mallikarjun @kharge was subjected to was untouchability. Untouchability is a crime under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, enacted under the Constitution of India. Our demand is straightforward: an FIR must be lodged against everyone who practised and supported this crime," Khera said. His remarks came after Leader of Opposition (LoP) Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi demanded immediate registration of an FIR under the SC/ST Act against those allegedly involved in the 'shuddhikaran' ritual in Uttarakhand after Kharge's visit. Addressing the media, Gandhi said the alleged act violated provisions of the SC/ST Act and constituted a crime. "This act violates the SC/ST Act. Performing a 'purification' ritual is a crime. Yet, no action has been taken. Therefore, we demand that an FIR be registered immediately against those who carried out this purification ritual in Uttarakhand," Gandhi said. Gandhi also questioned the BJP leadership over its reported response to the incident, saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi claims to represent people belonging to every caste. "The Prime Minister claims to belong to every caste and to be the Prime Minister of all of India. Yet, the state chief of his party states that the purification was justified," Gandhi said. He demanded that the Prime Minister direct the immediate registration of an FIR against those allegedly involved. "We want the Prime Minister to immediately order the registration of an FIR against these individuals under the SC/ST Act. It is the duty of both the State Government and the Central Government to ensure that Kharge ji receives justice in Uttarakhand," he said. On the BJP's new organisational structure, Gandhi said the Congress was not concerned about changes within the ruling party, asserting that its political battle was based on ideology and aimed at protecting the Constitution. (ANI)
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