Rahul Gandhi in legal trouble: FIR registered over remarks on Haldwani ‘purification’ row

August 31, 2026

Haldwani: Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has found himself in legal trouble after an FIR was registered against him in Uttarakhand’s Haldwani following a complaint by a member of the Valmiki community over his remarks on the ‘purification’ row linked to Mallikarjun Kharge’s rally.

According to police, the FIR was registered under Sections 196 and 299 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 3(1) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.

The case was registered on the complaint of Amit Kumar, a resident of Jawahar Nagar and a member of the Shri Ram Sena Dharmarth Seva Nyas.

What is the complaint against Rahul Gandhi?

Kumar alleged that Gandhi’s remarks during a media briefing on August 29 hurt the sentiments of members of the community.

According to the complaint, Kumar was present when a “ritual and cleanliness drive” was conducted at the Ramlila Maidan in Haldwani following Kharge’s rally.

He alleged that Gandhi’s remarks portrayed those involved in the ritual as practising “untouchability” and being “anti-Dalit”.

Kumar, who said he belongs to the Scheduled Caste community, claimed that the ritual had no connection with Kharge’s rally and that people from different castes, including members of the SC community, participated in it.

Complainant says Dalits participated in ritual

Kumar was accompanied by Vinod Arya, another member of the Shri Ram Sena Dharmarth Seva Nyas, while registering the complaint.

Arya demanded Gandhi’s arrest and said that several members of the Dalit community had also participated in the ritual.

“As a follower of the Sanatan tradition, it is my primary right and duty to ensure cleanliness at the venue where our Lord Shri Ram is worshipped and where various religious ceremonies take place,” Arya said.

He added that he was a Dalit himself and was accompanied by other members of the Dalit community during the activity.

How did the ‘purification’ row begin?

The controversy erupted after a ‘purification yajna’ was conducted at Haldwani’s Ramlila Maidan on August 11, following a rally addressed by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.

Kharge, who is also the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, criticised the development and called for action against those involved.

The issue subsequently escalated into a political controversy.

Rahul Gandhi later attacked the BJP and the RSS and demanded action against those who had participated in the ritual.

What Rahul Gandhi said

Gandhi alleged that the incident violated the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and demanded action from the authorities.

He said performing a “purification” ritual was a crime and questioned why action had not been taken.

Gandhi also said that the Congress was demanding justice for Kharge and that the central and state governments had a responsibility to ensure that the Congress president received justice.

The latest FIR against Gandhi has added another legal and political dimension to the ongoing controversy over the Haldwani purification ritual.