Bengaluru: Karnataka Congress on Wednesday staged a protest at Freedom Park here, condemning the FIR registered against Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi over his remarks on an alleged purification ritual held at the venue in Uttarakhand where AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge addressed a rally.
The protest, held under the leadership of KPCC chief B K Hariprasad, was attended by Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, senior Congress leader and former CM Siddaramaiah, along with other leaders and party office-bearers.
The protesters carried placards that read, “Anti-Constitutional BJP,” “BJP is a casteist party,” and “Politics of vendetta.” The FIR was registered against Gandhi due to the pressure from BJP leaders in Uttarakhand, they claimed.
The Congress leaders also condemned the alleged politics of vendetta and demanded the immediate withdrawal of the FIR.
They also demanded the registration of an FIR against the “guilty” BJP workers in Uttarakhand and immediate legal action against them.
Addressing the gathering, Hariprasad said that Gandhi questioned the alleged “purification” ritual carried out at the venue where Kharge had addressed a public meeting.
“The act of purification was an insult to Kharge and the Dalit community. Gandhi raised the issue and demanded action under the SC/ST Act, but an FIR was filed against him instead. We will not remain silent over this. We have a tradition of fighting through truth and non-violence,” he said.
He said that Gandhi had been targeted with an FIR in an attempt to silence his voice.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP and Home Minister Amit Shah have resorted to this shameful act. We have organised protests against them for tarnishing democracy, and party workers are holding demonstrations across all districts,” he added.
Shivakumar said today’s protest is not merely about Gandhi. It is about defending the principles of democracy, equality and human dignity. It is about standing up when injustice is committed.
“They may file a hundred cases against Gandhi, but they cannot intimidate him. The spirit of struggle runs in his blood. His family has walked the path of sacrifice and service to this country for generations. He is not someone who will be intimidated into surrendering or compromise on his principles. He is a born fighter. He has lived as a fighter, he lives as a fighter, and he will die as a fighter. The BJP must remember this,” he said.
The CM said what happened in connection with Kharge is not merely a political issue. It concerns equality, human dignity and the conscience of our society.
“The act of purification is an insult to the social harmony of the country. This should not have happened. For this act, the BJP should apologise not just to Kharge but to the entire country,” he added.
Shivakumar said that the FIR against Gandhi was false, “malicious and politically motivated”.
“We have complete faith in the judiciary and are confident that justice will ultimately prevail. We will continue to speak for the people and stand firmly for democracy, equality and the Constitution. We will not be silenced, and we will not be afraid,” he said.
Siddaramaiah said that the FIR has been registered against Gandhi even though he has not committed any wrongdoing and described it as a “grave injustice.” “This is not just an insult to Kharge. By registering an FIR, the police have also insulted Gandhi, who is the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha,” he said.
“The BJP has no faith in the Constitution. Registering a case against Gandhi is a grave offence. This cannot be tolerated. There should be protests across the state against this,” Siddaramaiah said.
An FIR was registered against Gandhi on the complaint of a member of the Valmiki community in Uttarakhand’s Haldwani, who alleged that the Congress leader gave a casteist spin to a religious ritual held at the venue of Kharge’s programme.
A political row erupted after some individuals allegedly performed a ‘purification yajna’ at the Ramlila Ground in Haldwani on August 11, after Kharge held a public meeting there on August 8.