2 hrs ago
Bengaluru Police Register FIR Against Uttarakhand BJP Over Kharge Ritual
Police in Bengaluru have opened a case against some Uttarakhand BJP members and others.
The case concerns a ritual said to have taken place after Mallikarjun Kharge spoke at a public meeting.
The meeting was held at Ramlila Ground in Haldwani on August 8.
The alleged ritual happened at the same place on August 10.
The complaint says the ritual suggested that the ground became impure because Kharge belongs to a Scheduled Caste community.
The complaint called this insulting and discriminatory.
Uttarakhand BJP president Mahendra Bhatt was accused of defending the ritual in public statements.
Police registered the case under laws dealing with civil rights, atrocities against Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, and promoting group enmity.
Bengaluru Police registered a Zero FIR against Uttarakhand BJP members and others over an alleged purification ritual.
The ritual was reportedly held on August 10 at Haldwani’s Ramlila Ground, two days after Mallikarjun Kharge addressed a rally there.
The complaint alleged the ritual conveyed that Kharge’s presence had made the venue impure because he belongs to a Scheduled Caste community.
The complaint was filed by T R Ramappa at Vidhana Soudha Police Station on August 31.
Police cited provisions under the Protection of Civil Rights Act, the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
- Who
- Bengaluru Police registered a case against Uttarakhand BJP members and others; the complaint was filed by T R Ramappa and concerns Mallikarjun Kharge.
- What
- A Zero FIR was registered over an alleged purification ritual following Kharge’s rally.
- Where
- The FIR was registered at Vidhana Soudha Police Station in Bengaluru; the alleged ritual took place at Ramlila Ground in Haldwani, Uttarakhand.
- When
- Kharge’s rally was held on August 8, the alleged ritual on August 10, and the complaint was filed on August 31; the FIR was registered on Friday.
- Why
- The complaint alleged that the ritual conveyed a casteist message that Kharge’s presence had made the venue impure.
Complainant’s Allegations
BJP Position Reported In The Complaint
Meaning of the ritual
Complainant’s Allegations
The complainant alleged that the ritual conveyed a casteist and derogatory message that Mallikarjun Kharge’s presence had made the venue impure.
BJP Position Reported In The Complaint
The complaint stated that Uttarakhand BJP president Mahendra Bhatt publicly defended, justified and endorsed the ritual; the articles do not provide his detailed response.
Legal significance
Complainant’s Allegations
The complainant argued that the alleged conduct insulted Kharge’s dignity and social status and could attract criminal provisions.
BJP Position Reported In The Complaint
The case remains an FIR based on allegations; the articles do not report a finding of guilt or provide an independent determination that the alleged conduct occurred.
Key facts
- Case type
- Zero FIR
- Police station
- Vidhana Soudha Police Station, Bengaluru
- Rally date
- August 8
- Alleged ritual date
- August 10
- Rally venue
- Ramlila Ground, Haldwani, Uttarakhand
- Complainant
- T R Ramappa, former vice-chairman of the Indian National Congress ST Department
- Legal provisions
- Protection of Civil Rights Act; SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act; Section 196(1)(b) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita
Quotes
T R Ramappa
Complainant and former vice-chairman of the Adivasi Congress’s ST Department
“The said ritual was purportedly intended to convey the deeply offensive, derogatory and casteist notion that the presence of Sri. Mallikarjun Kharge, a member of a Scheduled Caste community, had rendered the said place “impure” and that the venue consequently required ritualistic cleansing.”
theprint.in
Sources
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