Congress to hold self-respect meeting over Haldwani ‘purification’ ritual

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Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge. File | Photo Credit: PTI

Stepping up its campaign against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) governments at the Centre and in Uttarakhand, the Congress’s SC/ST Parliamentarians Forum on Sunday (September 27, 2026) announced a ‘Dalit-Adivasi Self-Respect Meeting’ in Delhi on September 29 over the ‘purification ritual’ conducted in Haldwani last month after a rally addressed by party president Mallikarjun Kharge.

Speaking at a press conference, Congress MP Mallu Ravi said the incident reflected the mindset of the Uttarakhand and Union governments. He criticised the Uttarakhand government’s initial refusal to register an FIR in the matter. The FIR, he said, was registered after protests by the Congress.

“The Prime Minister, Home Minister and Uttarakhand Chief Minister have not yet condemned the incident,” Mr. Ravi said.

Congress leader Manoj Kumar alleged that the Modi government was “anti-Dalit” and “anti-tribal” and claimed that atrocities against Dalits and tribals had increased. He appealed to Dalit and tribal legislators across the country to participate in the meeting.

The forum said the meeting would discuss incidents of discrimination and violence against Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes that violate the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955, and the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. It said that public representatives from these communities must unite to fight discrimination and social prejudice within legislatures and through public forums.

A controversy erupted after some individuals allegedly performed a ‘purification yajna’ at Haldwani’s Ramlila Ground on August 11, days after Mr. Kharge addressed a public meeting there on August 8.

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