Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Saturday (August 29) accused the BJP-RSS of practising untouchability after a ‘purification’ ritual was allegedly carried out at Haldwani’s Ramlila Maidan following a rally addressed there by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. He demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi take action against those responsible and file an FIR over the incident.

Speaking at a press conference at the Congress headquarters in Delhi, Gandhi said the episode was not merely about Kharge but reflected the discrimination faced by Dalits across the country.

He linked the alleged ritual to what he described as a wider ideological conflict between the Constitution and the BJP-RSS.

“There are two ideologies fighting in the country – the Constitution of India and that of the BJP-RSS. Whatever politics is happening in the country is between these two ideologies. For thousands of years, Dalits have faced violence in this country. As per the Constitution, it is illegal. In schools, Dalit children are made to clean toilets and sweep… Dalits are not allowed to drink water from wells. At tea stalls, there are two types of cups… During baraats, which should be a happy occasion, thousands of Dalits have to wear helmets when they climb the horse. This is the reality of UP, India and North India. You can see it in cities and villages,” remarked Rahul Gandhi while addressing a press conference at the Congress headquarters in Delhi.

Gandhi said Kharge was not the only Congress leader to have faced such treatment. Referring to incidents involving Congress leaders in Rajasthan and former Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, he alleged that places visited by Dalit leaders had similarly been subjected to ‘purification’.

The LoP mentioned that when the Congress Legislative Party Leader visits a temple in Rajasthan, then it is ‘purified’, and the same is done for Kharge.

“When he goes to Ramlila ground in Haldwani to give a speech, then that place is purified. An example from their party – Bihar chief minister (former) Jitan Ram Manjhi goes to a temple, then the same purification happens. Who does this? It is BJP-RSS people. And it is a crime as per the Constitution. We are calling it purification, but this is untouchability which was made illegal, and the BJP people are practising untouchability. When they are doing this, they are saying Dalits should not be touched and that they are dirty,” said Rahul Gandhi.

Gandhi said the Congress was seeking accountability from the Uttarakhand government and the Centre, insisting that the matter should not be dismissed as an isolated controversy.

The Congress leader said what he was demanding was “not something impossible”.

“We are demanding justice for the Congress president. Nothing more. Give the Congress president justice in Uttarakhand. It is the duty of the state and the Central government that Khargeji gets justice in Uttarakhand,” he said.

The controversy began after Uttarakhand BJP president and Rajya Sabha member Mahendra Bhatt defended the alleged ‘purification’ of Ramlila Maidan following Kharge’s rally there. His remarks drew criticism from the Congress and triggered a political confrontation over caste discrimination.

Asked about Kharge’s disappointment over some Congress leaders not speaking out on the episode, Gandhi rejected the suggestion that the Congress president had complained about a lack of wider support.

“That is not what happened. He said that certain people didn’t support him. He didn’t say that the vast majority of Congress people didn’t support him. I supported him; a whole number of other people did,” Gandhi responded.

Gandhi said the incident should be viewed as part of a much larger problem affecting Dalits and claimed that the alleged treatment of Kharge demonstrated how vulnerable Dalit children and ordinary citizens could be to discrimination.

“I spoke to Kharge ji about this. It is not an issue of his. It concerns every Dalit person. We have raised this here. This is the tip of the iceberg. If the Congress president can face this openly, then imagine what happens in school with a four-year-old child,” the Congress leader added.

He also warned that the Congress would continue to pursue the matter and said the Uttarakhand BJP chief would not be allowed to “escape” the controversy.

Kharge had earlier raised the issue in the Rajya Sabha on August 13, saying that the alleged purification ritual after his Haldwani speech had made him feel the “sting of untouchability”.

He had also sought action after Union minister and Leader of the House J.P. Nadda assured him that the matter would be investigated.

“I have the strength to fight. I do fight. Lakhs of people were there at Ramlila Maidan in Haldwani. At that time, I did not mention the name of any community or religion; I only reiterated the issues of the government. But after my speech, you (people associated with Bharatiya Janata Party) tried to insult me by doing a purification ritual, you made me feel the sting of untouchability. Is this the way in a democracy? How are you protecting the constitution? I am the LoP,” Kharge had said in the Rajya Sabha.

Nadda had then responded to say: “I assure you that whatever happened there will certainly be investigated. The [BJP] national president will look into this. It is a matter of great regret for all of us that your sentiments were hurt.”

With Gandhi now demanding an FIR and directly linking the alleged ritual to constitutional protections against untouchability, the Haldwani episode has moved beyond a dispute between political parties to a broader confrontation over caste discrimination and the treatment of Dalit leaders in public life.