Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Youth Congress on Wednesday staged a protest in Bhubaneswar demanding withdrawal of the FIR registered against Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi over his remarks on an alleged caste-based ‘purification’ ritual held at a venue in Uttarakhand.
Several Youth Congress workers, led by state president Ranjit Patra, took out a protest march from Congress Bhawan towards the state BJP headquarters. Police personnel stopped the protesters midway, leading to a scuffle between the two sides.
Several Youth Congress protesters were detained by police and later released, a police officer said.
During the protest, Congress workers burnt effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and Manusmriti.
Patra alleged that the BJP-led government at the Centre was conspiring to undermine the Constitution drafted by B R Ambedkar and replace it with Manusmriti.
“The government is not following the Constitution; instead, the instructions of Manusmriti are being followed,” he alleged.
He further alleged that Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge was insulted by the BJP and its supporters because he belongs to the Dalit community.
“Kharge ji is not only the Congress President, he is also the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha. If the BJP can insult the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha like this, then it is a matter of concern what is happening to the common Dalits in the country under the BJP rule,” Patra said.
The protest was held in response to an FIR registered against Gandhi in Uttarakhand following a complaint by a member of the Valmiki community in Haldwani. The complainant alleged that Gandhi gave a casteist interpretation to a religious ritual conducted at the venue of a programme addressed by Kharge.
According to Congress leaders, Kharge had addressed the ‘Vijay Shankhnaad Rally’ at Ramlila Maidan in Haldwani, Nainital, on August 8 as part of the party’s preparations for the 2027 Uttarakhand Assembly elections.
Two days later, members of Shri Ram Sena Dharmarth Seva Nyas Sangathan conducted a ‘Shuddhikaran Havan’ at the same venue, including on the stage used by Kharge, they said.
On August 29, Gandhi had sought registration of an FIR against those responsible and demanded action under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, describing the incident as an instance of untouchability and discrimination.
An FIR was registered against Gandhi the following day over his remarks on the ritual.
