NAINITAL — The political flashpoint triggered by the alleged "purification" ritual at Haldwani’s Ramlila Ground following a high-profile Congress rally has reached the legal arena, with a public interest petition moved before the High Court of Uttarakhand. The court is expected to hear the matter on September 7.
The dispute stems from an incident on August 11, three days after Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge addressed a major public gathering at the venue on August 8. According to reports, a group of individuals allegedly sprinkled water from the holy river Ganga and chanted Vedic mantras on the stage and across the ground where Kharge had stood.
The act quickly ignited a fierce political controversy, with the Congress leadership condemning the ritual as an insulting gesture tied to caste bias and untouchability. Kharge recently wrote a stern letter to Rajya Sabha Leader of the House JP Nadda, calling for the intervention of Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to ensure a First Information Report (FIR) is registered against those involved. Kharge highlighted that such rituals directly violate constitutional principles and human dignity.
The petition seeking judicial intervention was filed by Baijnath, a social activist based in Dehradun. The plea argues that the ritual was deliberately carried out to provoke social discord and undermine communal harmony.
In his petition, Baijnath noted that information regarding the sequence of events was sought through the Right to Information (RTI) Act. To ensure a thorough and unbiased investigation, the petitioner urged the High Court to issue directions to state authorities to preserve all documentary and electronic evidence—including CCTV footage and video recordings of the incident—before it can be tampered with or deleted.
The controversy has deepened political rifts across the state. While the Congress party has submitted a formal memorandum to the Governor of Uttarakhand demanding swift penal action, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has denied any involvement by its workers, accusing the opposition of attempting to politicize the event along caste lines to stir up public controversy.
With the High Court set to take up the matter on September 7, all eyes are now on the judiciary to see whether directives will be issued to law enforcement agencies for a formal probe.
