PM must get FIR filed against culprits under SC/ST Act: Priyanka on Kharge 'purification' row

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday stepped up the party’s attack on the BJP over an alleged “shuddhikaran” ceremony conducted at the venue of Mallikarjun Kharge’s rally in Uttarakhand, demanding an FIR against those responsible. Priyanka Gandhi said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should ensure action under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act if he genuinely respects the Constitution. Kharge had addressed a Congress gathering at Ramlila Maidan in Haldwani on August 8. The Congress has alleged that a “purification” ceremony was subsequently conducted at the venue.

‘Grave violation of Constitution’

In a Hindi post on X, Priyanka Gandhi alleged that people associated with the BJP-RSS had “purified” the stage after the Congress president addressed the rally. She described the alleged ceremony as reflecting an “extremely reprehensible and shameful mindset” and claimed it constituted a serious violation of the Constitution and the SC/ST Act.

Priyanka Gandhi questioned why no action had been taken even 20 days after the incident. “If the honourable Prime Minister Modi ji truly respects the Constitution of our country, then he should ensure that an FIR is filed against those who committed this crime in Uttarakhand and that action is taken under the SC/ST Act,” she said. She also shared a video of Rahul Gandhi’s press conference on Saturday, where he made a similar demand.

Rahul alleges ‘untouchability’

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi had accused those behind the ceremony of practising untouchability and demanded that they be booked under the SC/ST Act. He alleged that the episode reflected what he described as the “BJP-RSS mindset” towards Dalits and questioned the absence of action despite nearly three weeks having passed.

“We are demanding justice for the Congress president,” Rahul Gandhi said, arguing that both the Centre and the Uttarakhand government had a responsibility to act. He also targeted Uttarakhand BJP president Mahendra Bhatt, accusing him of defending the ceremony, and questioned Prime Minister Modi’s silence on the controversy.

BJP denies association with group

The Congress had earlier accused Bhatt of attempting to justify the ceremony. Bhatt reportedly maintained that the venue had been polluted by slogans inappropriate for a religious place while rejecting the Opposition’s criticism of the ritual.

Uttarakhand Congress president Ganesh Godiyal has alleged that the Shri Ram Sena carried out the purification ceremony and claimed that the organisation was associated with the BJP. The ruling party has strongly denied any such association. The controversy has also reached Parliament. Kharge raised the matter in the Rajya Sabha earlier this month and demanded cases and arrests under laws dealing with untouchability.

Responding to the issue in the Upper House, Leader of the House and Union minister J P Nadda had said the BJP did not subscribe to such activities and assured that the incident would be investigated.