‘Purification’ or untouchability? Rahul turns heat on BJP over Kharge row; demands FIR

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday demanded an FIR under the SC/ST Act over the alleged ‘shuddhikaran’ or purification ceremony held at the venue of a rally addressed by party president Mallikarjun Kharge in Uttarakhand , calling the incident a punishable act of untouchability .

Gandhi said Prime Minister Narendra Modi must intervene and ensure action against those responsible, noting that nearly 20 days had passed since the alleged incident without an FIR being registered.

“Whatever happened to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge ji in Haldwani is untouchability against him, disguised as ‘purification’ — and untouchability is a punishable offence under the Indian Constitution ,” Gandhi said.

Addressing a press conference here, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha alleged that the incident reflected an anti-Dalit mindset within the BJP-RSS.

“We are demanding justice for the Congress president. Give the Congress president justice in Uttarakhand. It is the duty of the central and state governments to ensure that Kharge gets justice,” he said.

The alleged purification ritual was performed at Haldwani's Ramlila Maidan on August 10, two days after Kharge addressed a gathering at the venue.

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Gandhi said no action had been taken despite the passage of 20 days and demanded that those involved be booked under the SC/ST Act.

“PM Modi states that he belongs to every caste and is the prime minister of the country, but his party chief of Uttarakhand defends shuddhikaran,” he said, referring to Uttarakhand BJP president Mahendra Bhatt's remarks on the controversy.

Gandhi alleged that the BJP was attempting to shield those responsible and said the issue went beyond the incident involving Kharge.

“Every Dalit individual in the country faces humiliation from birth to death, everywhere, at every step. The louder their voice rises, the fiercer the attack on them becomes,” he said, in a post on X.

देश के हर दलित व्यक्ति का जन्म से मृत्यु तक, हर जगह, हर कदम अपमान किया जाता है।

उनकी जितनी बुलंद आवाज़ होती है, उनपर उतना तेज़ हमला होता है।

कांग्रेस अध्यक्ष मल्लिकार्जुन खरगे जी के साथ हल्द्वानी में जो भी हुआ वो "शुद्धिकरण" का नाम दे कर उनके खिलाफ़ छुआछूत है - और छुआछूत भारत… pic.twitter.com/MJpDFRm9Zj

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 29, 2026

He claimed that discrimination against Dalits continued in different forms across the country, citing instances of caste-based practices and violence.

“For thousands of years, violence was perpetrated against Dalits. This is illegal under the Constitution, but today also in schools, Dalit children are made to clean toilets. This is the reality of the country,” Gandhi said.

He also referred to alleged incidents involving Congress leader Tikaram Jully and Union minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, arguing that attacks on Dalits became more intense as they gained influence and prominence.

“This is another name for untouchability. The BJP people practice untouchability. When they do shuddhikaran, they say that Dalits cannot touch as they are impure,” Gandhi alleged.

The Congress leader said the party would continue to press for action if justice was not delivered.

“Now the ball is in the BJP's court — an FIR must be filed under the SC-ST Act at the earliest, action must be taken, and justice must be served — otherwise, the Congress Party knows very well how to secure justice,” he said.

The controversy centres on an alleged purification ceremony at Ramlila Maidan after Kharge's August 8 rally. Uttarakhand Congress chief Ganesh Godiyal has alleged that the Shri Ram Sena carried out the ritual and was linked to the BJP, an allegation denied by the ruling party.

Bhatt had defended the ceremony, saying the venue had been polluted by slogans that were not appropriate for a religious place, according to reports.

Kharge later raised the matter in Parliament and demanded legal action against those involved. Responding in the Rajya Sabha, Union minister J P Nadda said the BJP did not support such activities and that the incident would be investigated.