Uttarakhand Police File FIR Over 'Purification' Ritual Following Kharge's Haldwani Rally

Public Lokpal
September 09, 2026

Uttarakhand Police have registered an FIR nearly a month after a ritualistic "purification" (shuddhikaran) ceremony was performed at the Ramlila Maidan stage in Haldwani following an address by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge.

Members of the Shri Ram Sena Dharmarth Seva Nyas conducted the cleaning site ritual, drawing widespread condemnation from Dalit leaders and the Congress party as an act of caste-based discrimination.

The Haldwani Kotwali police lodged the case against unknown individuals following a formal complaint by local activist Anju.

The charges invoke Section 3(1)(r) of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act for intentional humiliation, alongside Sections 196 and 299 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for promoting group enmity and outraging religious feelings.

The delayed police response has sparked fierce political backlash, particularly after Lok Sabha Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi previously faced a police case for criticizing the original ritual.