Uttarakhand: PIL seeks probe into 'purification' of Kharge rally site

A PIL has been filed in the Nainital High Court seeking a probe into a 'purification' ritual at the site of a Mallikarjun Kharge rally in Haldwani. The petitioner, a lawyer, cited concerns over social equality and caste-based discrimination.

Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], September 3 (ANI): A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Nainital High Court seeking an independent and time-bound investigation into a "purification" ritual allegedly conducted by workers of a right-wing group following Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge's rally in Haldwani. The petition, filed by Dehradun-based lawyer Baijnath Chauhan, is scheduled for hearing before a Division Bench of the High Court on September 7.

The controversy began after a Congress rally at Ramlila Ground in Haldwani on August 8, ahead of the 2027 Uttarakhand Assembly elections. Members of a right-wing group allegedly later conducted a 'shuddhikaran' ritual at the venue, drawing criticism from Congress leaders.

Petitioner cites social equality concerns

Speaking to ANI, Baijnath Chauhan said the incident has pained the general public and raises serious questions about social equality decades after India’s independence. "I have filed this Public Interest Litigation (PIL) as a common citizen. Although I am a professional lawyer here, the general public is pained by this incident. It has been almost 80 years since our independence. If, even after 80 years, the situation is such that after a person leaves a place, the stage is "purified"—so to speak—then it is a matter of concern. This is a subject for investigation. My request in the petition is also that this should be investigated. If we are still seeing incidents of "purification" after 80 years of independence; if we still see that a Dalit person is not allowed to ride a horse; if we see that a Dalit person cannot enter a place of worship, and if they do, the place is "purified" afterward—then this is truly a matter of sadness, and it is sad for the entire society. Pained by these issues, I filed this petition," Chauhan said.

The petitioner further detailed the legal steps he took before approaching the High Court. "And I didn't file it directly. First, on August 14, I sought information under the Right to Information (RTI) Act from the officials there. After that, on August 17, I submitted a representation to the Honourable DG of Police, the District Magistrate, the SSP of Nainital, and the SHO, requesting an investigation and legal action against those responsible. When I did not receive a satisfactory response from them, I filed this petition," he added.

When asked about claims from the BJP that their members were not involved in the ‘havan’/ritual, Chauhan emphasised that his plea is not politically motivated. "That is a political matter. I cannot comment on that. However, the incident did happen. And how can such a claim be made without an investigation? If a political party has concluded that their people weren't there, are they implying that while their people weren't involved, the "purification" did indeed take place? If that is the case—if it's an admission that "purification" happened, just not by their people—then I have no objection. I have no political agenda in this, neither for nor against any particular party. None at all," Chauhan assured.

Political controversy escalates

Meanwhile, Kharge alleged that the BJP was attempting to intimidate and demoralise the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, by getting an FIR registered against him for raising the issue of a purification ritual conducted at the site of a Congress rally in Uttarakhand. Kharge said, "Rahul Gandhi is a prominent leader of a party in the Lok Sabha. He raised his voice inside Parliament, and outside as well. Just as he has been raising issues concerning students, inflation and unemployment, he also raised the voice of Dalits. This is strange -- if they try to intimidate and demoralise a leader who fights for Dalits, fights for women, fights for students, fights for victimised women, and fights against inflation by filing FIRs, our party is not going to be scared. Let them file as many FIRs as they want; we will face them. If the BJP wants to settle scores with Rahul Gandhi like this for working in the interest of Dalits, it won't work, and we will continue to face such things."

Kharge had raised the matter in the Rajya Sabha earlier, alleging that the ritual was linked to his identity as a Dalit leader and questioning whether such practices were acceptable in a democracy."I myself come from the Dalit community. If any leader spoke about me, whatever happened was not right. And it is not just a question about me; it is a question about the Dalits of this country," Kharge said.

FIR against Rahul Gandhi

On August 30, an FIR was registered against Rahul Gandhi over his statements regarding the shuddhikaran yajna (purification ritual) conducted at the venue. The FIR was lodged following a complaint by Amit Kumar, a member of the Valmiki community, who alleged that Rahul Gandhi's remarks hurt the sentiments of the Scheduled Caste community. Police invoked provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, including Sections 3(1)(r) and 3(1)(u), along with Section 196 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. (ANI)

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