Authorities in Haldwani, Uttarakhand, have filed a first information report (FIR) against unidentified individuals regarding the alleged “purification” of Ramlila Maidan following a rally led by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge last month.
The police have received approximately 80 complaints from various regions across the state, with 19 of those originating from Nainital district alone.
On August 30, an FIR was registered against Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, who was accused of introducing a caste dimension to the issue.
The complaint against Gandhi was made by Amit Kumar, a resident of Jawahar Nagar Colony in Haldwani, who identifies as a member of the Valmiki community. Kumar stated that he, along with fellow community members, took part in a “cleanliness drive and religious ritual” at Ramlila Maidan, asserting that their actions were not related to any individual or caste.
On Monday, the FIR concerning unidentified individuals was filed at Haldwani Kotwali based on a complaint from Anju, a local social activist and attorney who was the first to submit a formal grievance regarding the incident, according to police sources.
Nainital Senior Superintendent of Police Manjunath TC informed The Indian Express on Tuesday that numerous petitions and applications had been received from different organizations and political entities regarding the alleged occurrences at Ramlila Maidan on August 10, particularly focusing on the cleaning activities, rituals, and the claimed purification event.
During a legal review of these submissions, it was discovered that Anju had been the first to lodge a formal complaint at the Haldwani Kotwali police station, providing relevant videos to the Station House Officer and other officials.
As a result of her complaint, the police have registered an FIR against unidentified persons under Sections 196 and 299 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 3(1)(r) of the SC/ST Act.
This FIR cites Section 3(1)(r) of the SC/ST Act for acts of insult or humiliation based on caste, along with Sections 196 and 299 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita concerning the promotion of enmity between groups and the intentional outrage of religious sentiments.
The FIR does not identify any specific accused parties.
Anju’s complaint claims that after Kharge’s speech on August 8, the venue was subjected to “purification” on August 10, with images and videos shared widely on social media.
It is particularly significant that Mallikarjun Kharge belongs to the Scheduled Caste category, which Anju argues makes the subsequent purification of the venue appear to be an act aimed at fostering caste discrimination and instilling feelings of inferiority in individuals from Scheduled Castes.
The complaint further requests an investigation into a separate video circulating on social media, which it describes as “misleading, objectionable, and possibly edited.” It alleges that religious slogans were presented in a manner intended to incite “hatred and animosity” against a specific religious community.
SSP Manjunath stated that the investigation would concentrate on the allegations in the complaint and the evidence provided to the police.
Due to the sensitivity of the situation, a senior officer named Jagdish Chandra, who has transitioned from a senior PPS officer to the IPS cadre, has been assigned to oversee the investigation.
In New Delhi, a group of Dalit Congress MPs and leaders visited the Parliament Street police station to demand an FIR related to the incident.
K Raju, a Congress leader and national coordinator for SC, OBC, Minority, and Adivasi Departments, reported that a delegation of 20 MPs from both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha attempted to file an FIR for what they termed an act of untouchability against the Congress president.
Despite their efforts over two hours, the station house officer reportedly refused to file a zero FIR. Raju remarked that if such treatment is meted out to SC and ST MPs, it raises serious concerns about the treatment of ordinary SC/ST citizens.
Congress MP Sasikanth Senthil emphasized that the purification of the stage in Haldwani following Kharge’s address constitutes untouchability, which is a criminal offense under the law. He pointed out the disparity in the speed of filing FIRs, noting that it took only one day to act against Rahul Gandhi, while no action had been taken against those responsible for the purification after a month.
