FIR Filed Against Rahul Gandhi Following Haldwani Ritual Remarks

An FIR has been filed against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Haldwani, Uttarakhand, under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the SC/ST Act. The complaint was initiated by Amit Kumar, a member of the Scheduled Caste community, who alleged that Gandhi falsely characterized a local purification ritual as an act of untouchability. The legal action follows Gandhi's public criticism of the event, which he previously described as a crime against Dalits.

The tension stems from a shuddhikaran havan held at Ramlila Maidan on August 11, 2026, shortly after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge addressed a rally at the same location. Kharge had raised concerns about the incident in the Rajya Sabha on August 13, stating he felt the sting of untouchability. While the BJP has officially condemned the ritual, regional leaders argued it was a reaction to the political atmosphere rather than a caste-based act, leading to a deepening dispute over the facts of the event.

The registration of the FIR has caused a significant stir within the Congress party. Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi leader Prakash Ambedkar has urged Gandhi to move beyond rhetoric and take concrete action, citing a muted response from party workers. Sources suggest that Kharge expressed hurt over the lack of party mobilization during a recent CWC meeting. With the investigation now moving to the legal stage, the party is re-evaluating its social justice strategy as it navigates the conflicting accounts of the incident in Uttarakhand.