An FIR has been registered against Congress leader and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi in Haldwani, Uttarakhand, over remarks he made about a religious ritual held at the Ramlila Ground.
The case was registered at Haldwani Kotwali Police Station on August 30 following a complaint by Amit Kumar, a Jawahar Nagar resident and member of the Shri Ram Sena Dharmarth Seva Nyas. Kumar, who identified himself as a member of the Scheduled Caste community, alleged that Gandhi gave the incident a caste-based interpretation and hurt the sentiments of the Valmiki community.
The FIR invokes Sections 196 and 299 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, as well as provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. Section 196 relates to promoting enmity between groups and acts prejudicial to communal harmony, while Section 299 concerns deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings.
The complaint concerns Gandhi’s comments at a press conference in New Delhi on August 29. He had criticised a purification ritual and cleanliness drive conducted at the Haldwani Ramlila Ground on August 11, three days after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge addressed a public meeting at the venue on August 8.
Gandhi alleged that the ritual reflected untouchability and discriminatory treatment of Dalits. He demanded action under the SC/ST Act against those responsible, saying the Central and state governments had a duty to ensure justice for Kharge.
Kumar alleged that Gandhi made the assertions without verifying the circumstances. He said he was present during the cleanliness drive and religious ceremony, and claimed that people from various sections of society, including members of the Scheduled Caste community, participated.
According to the complaint, Gandhi wrongly portrayed those involved as anti-Dalit and created tension between communities by linking the ritual to Kharge’s caste. Kumar maintained that the ceremony was not directed against any caste group.
Haldwani City Superintendent of Police Manoj Kumar Katyal confirmed that an FIR had been registered and that an investigation was underway.
Congress leaders had earlier described the ritual as evidence of an anti-Dalit mindset, while the BJP rejected the allegations. The BJP said the venue had been left littered after Kharge’s rally and claimed that inappropriate slogans had been raised at the religious site. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami also said that those who conducted the ritual were not BJP workers.
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