Shillong, Sept 2: Terming the Haldwani “purification” controversy a test of impartial policing, the Congress on Wednesday said the Uttarakhand Police registered a case against Rahul Gandhi for seeking an inquiry into the alleged shuddhikaran after party president Mallikarjun Kharge’s meeting, while the promised probe into the ceremony itself is yet to be disclosed.
MPCC secretary Manuel Badwar said the sequence raises questions of selective enforcement.
“When accountability knocked, Uttarakhand Police opened the wrong door,” Badwar said, alleging that “the original act disappears from official scrutiny… The demand for justice is made a new offence.”
Recounting the chronology, Badwar said Kharge addressed a public meeting at Ramlila Maidan, Haldwani on August 8 and days later a purification ceremony was held at the same venue, which Kharge said humiliated him and made him “experience the indignity of untouchability.”
He said BJP president J P Nadda had expressed regret and indicated an examination of the incident, while Uttarakhand BJP president Mahendra Bhatt justified it by claiming the venue had been “polluted.”
“Which is the BJP’s real position? Was the ceremony wrong, as Shri Nadda’s response suggested? Or was it justified, as the Uttarakhand BJP president declared?” Badwar asked.
He said Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on August 29 invoked the Constitution and sought an FIR into the purification, and on August 30 an FIR was instead lodged against Gandhi himself on a complaint by Amit Kumar under BNS Sections 196, 299 and SC/ST Act Section 3(1)(q).The Congress said it respects the complainant and the Valmiki community and does not seek to silence him, but the police must act fairly.
“We have examined the complete recording of Shri Rahul Gandhi’s press conference – not an edited clip… He did not name Amit Kumar. He did not attack the Valmiki community. He did not use a caste slur. He did not call for violence,” Badwar said, quoting Gandhi as saying, “We are demanding justice for the Congress president. We are not saying anything more.”
Questioning the applicability of the sections, he asked under Section 196 what exact words promoted enmity, under Section 299 what proved deliberate intention to outrage religious feelings when Gandhi did not condemn havans generally but questioned purification after a Dalit leader’s meeting, and under SC/ST Act what false information was given to which public servant.
Badwar said criticism of government action is essential in a parliamentary democracy as recently reaffirmed by the Allahabad High Court, and converting a demand for accountability into a criminal case treats opposition itself as an offence.
The party demanded publication of the certified FIR against Gandhi, disclosure of all complaints received on the original ceremony with action taken, publication of terms and status of the inquiry promised after Kharge’s complaint, independent senior-level supervision of both matters with preservation of all records, and a time-bound report on organizers, permissions and affiliations of the purification event.
“This is not a dispute between communities. This is a contest between accountability and impunity… The Constitution will not be silenced by an FIR,” Badwar said.
