Mallikarjun Kharge wrote to JP Nadda seeking an FIR over the Haldwani purification incident. Kharge said no case had been registered against those allegedly involved, despite an assurance in the Rajya Sabha that the matter would be investigated.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has written to Rajya Sabha Leader of the House JP Nadda, urging him to ensure police action over an alleged purification ritual conducted at Haldwani’s Ramlila Ground after Kharge addressed a political rally there.

Kharge asked Nadda to direct Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to ensure an FIR is registered against the individuals and organisations allegedly involved. He said 24 days had passed since the incident without a case being filed against them.

The Congress leader also referred to an assurance Nadda reportedly gave in the Rajya Sabha that the incident would be investigated and strict action taken against anyone found responsible.

In his letter, Kharge said the controversy went beyond an insult directed at him or his position as Congress president. He argued that it was connected to the experiences of millions of people who continue to encounter caste-based discrimination.

Kharge requested that the Uttarakhand government identify those involved and initiate legal proceedings. He maintained that accountability was necessary to prevent similar incidents and protect constitutional principles of dignity and equality.

Nadda had earlier condemned the alleged incident when Kharge raised it in Parliament and assured the House that an investigation would be conducted before action was taken against those responsible.

Kharge addressed a Congress rally at Ramlila Ground in Haldwani on August 8 as part of the party’s preparations for the 2027 Uttarakhand Assembly election.

Members of Shri Ram Sena Dharmarth Seva Nyas Sangathan reportedly conducted a shuddhikaran havan at the venue on August 10. Representatives of the group said the ground had religious and cultural importance and objected to its use for political events and slogans raised during the Congress programme.

Congress leaders alleged that the ritual was linked to Kharge’s Dalit identity and described it as discriminatory. The organisers and BJP representatives disputed that interpretation, denying a caste motive and accusing Congress of politicising the event.

Kharge raised the matter in the Rajya Sabha and questioned whether a purification ceremony following a Dalit leader’s public meeting was acceptable in a democracy.

BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi rejected the Congress allegations and said there was no caste angle to the ritual. He accused the opposition party of attempting to create divisions within Hindu society.

The competing accounts have made the episode a major political issue in Uttarakhand. Congress has framed it as a question of dignity, untouchability and constitutional values, while BJP leaders and the ritual’s organisers have challenged the claim that it targeted Kharge’s caste identity.

A separate FIR was registered against Rahul Gandhi on August 30 following his comments about the controversy. Gandhi had described the ritual as another form of untouchability and demanded police action against those involved.

The case followed a complaint from Amit Kumar, identified as a member of the Valmiki community, who alleged that Gandhi’s comments hurt the sentiments of the Scheduled Caste community.

Police reportedly invoked Sections 3(1)(r) and 3(1)(u) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, along with Section 196 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Kharge’s latest letter highlights what Congress describes as unequal police action: a case was registered over Gandhi’s remarks, while no FIR had been filed against those accused of conducting the original ritual. As of his letter, the demand remained pending, and the Uttarakhand government had not announced the requested FIR.