NEW DELHI: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday wrote to Union minister and senior BJP leader JP Nadda over the Haldwani “purification” row, seeking to know why an FIR has not yet been filed in the case.“I have written a letter to the Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha, Shri @JPNadda, reminding him of the assurance he gave in the House regarding the serious issue of the purification carried out at Ram Leela Maidan after my public meeting in Haldwani, and urged that immediate action be taken on this matter. Even after 24 days have passed, no FIR has been registered against the individuals and organizations responsible for this heinous incident,” he posted on X.Kharge, the leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha, had alleged in the House on Auust 13 that the Haldwani venue was “purified” after his August 8 rally. This prompted Nadda to express regret; he also denied BJP workers were involved.As the Congress chief belongs to the Dalit community, the party has described the incident as an insult to the community and demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi order an FIR against those involved in the alleged “purification” ritual.Kharge further said in the letter, “This issue goes beyond me personally or my position as the President of the Indian National Congress; it is connected on a broader level to the sentiments of crores of people who continue to face this cruel reality every day. It is necessary to teach a lesson to such wrongdoers.”
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He added, “In light of these facts and the assurance given in the Rajya Sabha, you should direct the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand to ensure that a First Information Report is registered against the individuals and organizations involved in the incident of purification that took place at Ram Leela Maidan after my public meeting in Haldwani.”Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Dhami and organisers of the purification ritual, meanwhile, have denied that it was linked to Kharge personally. They maintained that “slogans of religious nature” were chanted at the event, following which people themselves came forward and conducted the ritual.The issue has snowballed as Uttarakhand will hold assembly elections early next year. The BJP will seek a third consecutive term, while the Congress will aim for a comeback after 10 years out of office.
