Following an August 8 public rally addressed by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in Haldwani, Uttarakhand, members of a right-wing group performed a purification ritual at the venue. The act was widely condemned as reinforcing caste-based untouchability and insulting both Kharge and the Constitution. Nearly a month passed without a police case being registered, prompting Kharge to write directly to Rajya Sabha Leader of the House JP Nadda to ask that Uttarakhand’s chief minister be pressed to ensure an FIR was filed without further delay.
Nadda stated in Parliament that the Bharatiya Janata Party had no connection to the organizers and indicated the incident would be investigated. Separately, Congress’s Uttarakhand in-charge, Kumari Selja, demanded strict action over the episode, while state officials have not announced a timeline for concluding any investigation.