An FIR has been registered against Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi in Uttarakhand’s Haldwani over alleged casteist remarks linked to a religious ritual held at the venue of a Congress programme. The case was registered on a complaint by a member of the Scheduled Caste community, who alleged that Gandhi’s remarks hurt the sentiments of the community.
The FIR was lodged at Haldwani City Kotwali under Sections 196 and 299 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNSS), along with Section 3(1) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
The complaint was filed by Amit Kumar, a resident of Jawahar Nagar and a member of the Shri Ram Sena Dharmarth Seva Nyas. Kumar alleged that remarks made by Gandhi at a press conference in Delhi on August 29 hurt the sentiments of the Scheduled Caste community.
The complaint comes amid a political row over a ‘purification yajna’ allegedly performed at the Ramlila Ground in Haldwani on August 11, days after a public meeting addressed there by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on August 8.
Kumar said he was present during the ‘ritual and cleanliness drive’ and claimed that people from different sections of society, including members of Scheduled Castes, had participated in the event. He maintained that the ritual was not linked to any particular caste.
In his complaint, Kumar sought police action based on a video of Gandhi’s press conference, social media posts, and photographs and videos of the events held on August 8 and 11.
The row began after some individuals allegedly performed the ‘purification yajna’ at the venue following Kharge’s rally. The Congress called the act a reflection of the BJP’s anti-Dalit mindset.
The BJP, however, defended the ritual, saying the ground had been left littered after the Congress rally and that slogans inappropriate for a religious site had been raised there.
The FIR marks a fresh escalation in the political dispute, with the case now invoking both provisions of the BNSS and the SC/ST Act.
– Ends
With PTI inputs
Published By:
India Today Web Desk
Published On:
Aug 30, 2026 23:45 IST
