Congress's Pawan Khera supported Rahul Gandhi's call for an FIR under the SC/ST Act after a 'shuddhikaran' ritual in Uttarakhand following Mallikarjun Kharge's visit. Khera emphasized it's about Dalit dignity and slammed the BJP for politicizing it.
Congress leader Pawan Khera on Saturday backed Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi's demand for an FIR under the SC/ST Act over an alleged 'shuddhikaran' ritual in Uttarakhand following Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's visit. He said the incident was about the dignity of Dalits and the need to end discrimination.
Khera Slams BJP for 'Poisoning Public Discourse'
He accused the BJP and the wider right-wing ecosystem of turning Rahul Gandhi's call for Dalit dignity and an end to discrimination into a partisan political battle, saying their response exposed the "rotten content" of their own character.
In a post on X, Khera wrote, "Shri Rahul Gandhi's press conference today was triggered by the untouchability Shri Mallikarjun @kharge was subjected to. But its message was much bigger. It was about the dignity of Dalits across India -- and the need to end the discrimination and dehumanisation they continue to face. This sounds like a message that no person in their right mind could oppose."
"Yet, almost immediately, the entire Right Wing ecosystem -- so-called "intellectuals" and trolls alike -- began poking holes in his message. This is what the BJP has done to India: poisoned public discourse to such an extent that even a call for human dignity is reduced to a partisan battle. They should know: they are not damaging Rahul Gandhi. They are exposing the rotten content of their own character," the post read.
Rahul Gandhi Demands FIR Under SC/ST Act
His remarks came after Rahul Gandhi demanded immediate registration of an FIR under the SC/ST Act against those allegedly involved in the 'shuddhikaran' ritual.
Addressing the media, Gandhi said the alleged act violated provisions of the SC/ST Act and constituted a crime.
"This act violates the SC/ST Act. Performing a 'purification' ritual is a crime. Yet, no action has been taken. Therefore, we demand that an FIR be registered immediately against those who carried out this purification ritual in Uttarakhand," Gandhi said.
He also questioned the BJP leadership over its reported response to the incident, saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi claims to represent people belonging to every caste. (ANI)
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