The political row over a ‘purification’ ritual in Uttarakhand took a fresh turn on Tuesday, with BJP leaders conducting a ‘Buddhi-Shuddhi’ Yajna for Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Dehradun.
The ritual was held at the Panchayati Temple near the Clock Tower, where BJP leaders placed a photograph of Gandhi during the ceremony.
The move came as Congress stepped up protests across several states over an FIR lodged against the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha following his comments on a ‘shuddhikaran’ ritual in Haldwani.
BJP Accuses Gandhi Of Caste Discrimination
The Uttarakhand BJP accused Gandhi of attempting to divide society along caste lines and using what it described as false and misleading narratives to gain political mileage ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
#WATCH | Dehradun
| Members of Uttarakhand BJP performed a ‘Buddhi-Shuddhi’ Yagna at the Panchayati Temple near Clock Tower yesterday, by placing a photograph of Congress MP Rahul Gandhi
(01.09) pic.twitter.com/q1tpunD8h9
— ANI (@ANI) September 2, 2026
Among those present at the yajna were State SC Morcha president and Minister of State Balveer Ghuniyal, Minister of State Bhagwat Prasad Makwana, SC Morcha city president Surendra Kumar Gheyal, senior BJP leader Jaipal Valmiki, City General Secretary Aditya Nayyar, senior leader Rajesh Rajoria and State Social Media Co-Convenor Kajal Sood.
Also Read: ‘Dalit Khatre Mein Hain’: Why Congress Is Turning Kharge’s Uttarakhand Row Into A Bigger Narrative
Councillor Renu Devi, City Vice President Rajesh Kumar, City Media Convenor Shubham Kumar, City Executive Member Daulat Ram Makwana and Karanpur Mandal President Anita Devi were also present.
Congress Protests FIR Against Rahul Gandhi
The BJP’s ritual came hours after Congress workers staged protests in Uttarakhand, Chandigarh, Karnataka and Delhi against the FIR registered against Gandhi.
The case relates to comments made by Gandhi over a purification ceremony reportedly held at the venue where Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge addressed a party rally on August 8.
Gandhi had criticised the ritual, alleging that it amounted to discrimination against members of the Scheduled Caste community. He had called the purification ceremony “another name for untouchability” and demanded that an FIR be registered under the SC/ST Act against those who conducted it.
The FIR was registered on August 30 following a complaint by 26-year-old Amit Kumar, a resident of Jawahar Nagar Colony in Haldwani and a member of the Valmiki community. Kumar is also an office-bearer of the Shri Ram Sena Dharmarth Seva Nyas organisation.
According to the complaint, Gandhi’s remarks had hurt the sentiments of the Scheduled Caste community.
SC/ST Act Invoked
Police have invoked provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, including Sections 3(1)® and 3(1)(u), in the case. Section 196 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, has also been cited.
Section 199 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, relating to jurisdiction, has additionally been mentioned in the FIR.
Also Read: ‘Felt Hurt’: Kharge Says Only Few CWC Members Condemned ‘Purification’ Ritual
The case has triggered a political confrontation between the BJP and Congress, with the two parties trading accusations over caste, untouchability and the political use of the controversy.
While Congress has condemned the FIR against Gandhi and taken the issue to the streets, the BJP’s ‘Buddhi-Shuddhi’ ritual in Dehradun has added a new layer to the escalating dispute.
With inputs from ANI
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