Haldwani ‘purification’ row: Day after FIR against Rahul, BJP, Cong trade barbs
The Congress party slammed the FIR against Rahul Gandhi, calling it casteist. BJP countered that Rahul raised the issue belatedly after a threat from Kharge. An FIR was registered against Rahul Gandhi under various sections and the SC/ST Act. The complainant alleged Rahul gave a caste angle to cleaning work at the rally. Uttarakhand CM stated state residents are unaware of Kharge's caste.
NEW DELHI: The BJP and Congress engaged in heated exchanges on Monday following the filing of an FIR against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. The opposition party accused Rahul of belatedly raising the issue of purification of the Haldwani rally venue, claiming it was reflective of his rival's casteist behavior. In response, the BJP alleged that Rahul's concerns were driven by the threat of a leadership challenge from Congress President Mallikharjun Kharge.
Meanwhile, the Uttarakhand Police registered the FIR against Rahul under various sections of the IPC and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, following a complaint from a Dalit individual who alleged that the cleaning work at the rally venue, Ramlila Maidan, was accompanied by a caste and religious ritual. Congress released a video titled "Cases are my medals" featuring Rahul's comments that he has 36 cases against him and he is not afraid of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
However, the truth, according to Congress leader Sachin Pilot, is that seeking justice cannot be suppressed by FIRs. The BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia accused Rahul of only taking up the issue after Kharge urged him to do so, suggesting that Rahul's intentions were merely political. Meanwhile, the Uttarakhand Chief Minister defended the organizers' actions, citing the diverse representation of Scheduled Castes among them and stating that they cleaned the dais as it had not been properly maintained as the stage for the annual Ram Lila.
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