FIR against Rahul Gandhi for calling Haldwani ‘purification’ ritual ‘untouchability’ | India News - Hindustan Times

**Rahul Gandhi Faces FIR Over Remarks on Haldwani “Purification” Ritual**

New Delhi – A First Information Report (FIR) was lodged on Wednesday with the Uttarakhand police against senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for allegedly “giving a caste angle” to a cultural practice in the hill city of Haldwani. The FIR, filed under sections of the Indian Penal Code that deal with promoting enmity between groups, stems from Gandhi’s remarks made during a public rally in Haldwani on 28 August, where he described a local “purification” ceremony as an act of “untouchability” that perpetuates caste‑based discrimination. The statement, broadcast on national television and widely shared on social media, sparked immediate backlash from regional leaders who accused the opposition figure of politicising a religious tradition.

Police officials in Nainital district confirmed that the complaint was lodged after a resident of Haldwani filed a petition alleging that Gandhi’s comments could incite communal tension and hurt the sentiments of the local community. The FIR cites Section 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, caste, community, or language) and Section 295A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings) of the IPC. Investigators have been directed to record statements from both the complainant and witnesses present at the rally, and the case is now under the jurisdiction of the district magistrate’s court.

The Congress party has denounced the FIR as an attempt to silence dissent and has vowed to “wage a full‑force fight against casteist mentality.” Party spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala called the legal action “politically motivated” and urged the central government to intervene. Opposition parties, including the BJP, defended the police action, stating that any public figure must be held accountable for remarks that could inflame social divisions. The episode adds to a series of recent controversies surrounding caste‑related discourse in Indian politics and may have implications for upcoming elections in Uttarakhand and beyond.

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