Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], September 2 (ANI): Punjab Legislative Assembly Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa on Wednesday questioned the FIR registered against Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi in connection with the Haldwani 'purification' row, asking why action was not taken against those who allegedly carried out the ritual at the venue of a Congress rally.
Speaking in Chandigarh, Bajwa questioned the continued prevalence of such practices decades after Independence and asked the BJP to clarify its position on the issue.
"Our question is straightforward: so many years after independence, and despite being a strong nation, we want to ask the BJP, this 'purification' process is still ongoing. You did not file any FIR against those perpetrators. Do you have faith in the policies of Dr Ambedkar and the Constitution he drafted?" Bajwa said.
The controversy relates to an alleged 'shuddhikaran' or purification ritual conducted at the Ramlila Ground in Haldwani after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge addressed a public rally there on August 8.
The reported ritual, which included cleaning and a havan at the venue, triggered a political controversy after Rahul Gandhi criticised the act, alleging that it reflected caste-based discrimination and untouchability. Gandhi had demanded that an FIR be registered against those responsible and sought action under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The BJP, however, rejected the allegations of caste discrimination and denied that the party or the RSS was responsible for the ritual. BJP leaders maintained that the venue was cleaned after the rally and pushed back against Gandhi's characterisation of the incident.
The issue subsequently took a fresh turn after an FIR was registered against Rahul Gandhi at Haldwani Kotwali on the basis of a complaint filed by Amit Kumar, who identified himself as a member of the Valmiki community. The complaint alleged that Gandhi had wrongly described the cleaning and havan as an act of untouchability and an atrocity against the Scheduled Caste community. The case was registered under relevant provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Reacting to the development, Bajwa alleged that the decision to register an FIR against Gandhi instead of those who conducted the alleged purification amounted to support for such conduct.
"Instead of filing an FIR against those individuals, you filed one against Rahul Gandhi," he said.
"Since this implies BJP support for such conduct, the BJP must issue a clarification," the Punjab LoP added.
The controversy has since widened into a political confrontation between the Congress and BJP, with Congress leaders questioning the action against Gandhi and the BJP accusing the opposition of politicising the issue.
The Congress has also announced protests over the FIR against Gandhi and has demanded action against those involved in the Haldwani ritual. The BJP, meanwhile, has continued to defend its position and reject allegations that the incident reflected an official party stance. (ANI)
"Do you have faith in Ambedkar's policies": Congress Partap Bajwa targets BJP on FIR against Rahul Gandhi on 'purification' row
