Congress leader and former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat on Tuesday observed a ‘maun vrat’ or vow of silence in Delhi to protest the FIR registered against Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi in connection with the Haldwani purification row.
The protest comes amid a growing political confrontation between the Congress and the BJP over an alleged ‘ shuddhikaran’ or purification ritual conducted at Haldwani’s Ramlila Ground after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge addressed a rally there.
Mallikarjun Kharge objected to the ritual and described it as an insult. He also raised the issue in Parliament. Congress leaders have alleged that the ritual was an act of caste discrimination and have linked it to the issue of untouchability. The BJP, however, has denied having any role in the ritual.
BJP leaders have said the Congress was giving a caste angle to the incident and accused it of misleading the Dalit community. The FIR was registered under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the SC/ST Act, following his remarks on the alleged purification ceremony, according to reports. Rawat also said the Congress would continue its protest across the country. “Whatever has happened against our party, president and senior leader Mallikarjun Kharge is completely unacceptable,” Rawat said.
