Congress Mobilizes Against FIR Targeting Rahul Gandhi Over Haldwani Row

The legal action follows an August 30 complaint by Amit Kumar, a member of the Valmiki community, who alleged that Gandhi’s recent comments regarding a purification ritual in Haldwani wounded the sentiments of Scheduled Caste members. Police have invoked the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita against the Leader of the Opposition. The controversy originated after right-wing activists performed a havan and sprinkled gangajal at a venue previously used by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, an act the opposition party labeled a discriminatory purification exercise.

Surjewala framed the conflict as a broader ideological struggle, arguing that constitutional equality remains elusive for marginalized groups nearly eight decades after independence. While the Congress has attempted to file counter-FIRs against those involved in the ritual, Selja noted that their petitions to the Governor have yielded no results. Consequently, the party is shifting its strategy toward mass protests, asserting that the incident is being exploited for electoral gains in Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.