New Delhi, September 1: Senior Congress leader and former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat on Tuesday observed a ‘Maun Vrat’ in the national capital to protest the registration of an FIR against Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi over his remarks concerning an alleged purification ceremony at a public venue in Haldwani.
Rawat held the silent protest at Shri Guru Ravidas Dharm Sthan in Sector 3, R.K. Puram, where he raised objections to the action against Gandhi and described the issue as one involving broader questions of equality and democratic rights.
The controversy stems from an alleged ‘shuddhikaran’ ritual held at the Ramlila Ground in Haldwani on August 10, two days after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge addressed a rally there.Kharge had objected to the reported ceremony and raised the matter in Parliament.
Congress leaders alleged that the ritual reflected caste discrimination and linked it to the practice of untouchability.
Rahul Gandhi subsequently criticised the incident and called for legal action against those responsible. His comments were followed by the registration of an FIR in Haldwani under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, according to reports.
The Congress has criticised the FIR, arguing that Gandhi was raising concerns related to equality, caste discrimination and constitutional rights.The BJP has denied involvement in the alleged purification ceremony and accused the Congress of giving the incident a caste-based interpretation for political purposes.
Speaking before his silent protest, Rawat questioned the registration of a case against the Leader of the Opposition and said Gandhi had spoken about rights guaranteed under the Constitution and law.
Rawat said the Congress would continue raising the issue through protests in different parts of the country. He also said he planned to hold a day-long dharna in Haldwani once he was physically fit to do so.
The former chief minister maintained that the controversy should not be viewed solely through the lens of party politics and argued that issues of social equality and untouchability were involved.
The dispute has added to the ongoing political confrontation between the Congress and BJP, with both sides presenting sharply different views on the alleged ceremony and the subsequent legal action.
