New twist in the Kharge ‘purification’ controversy: Zero FIR registered in Bengaluru against BJP leaders, including Mahendra Bhatt.

New twist in the Kharge ‘purification’ controversy: Zero FIR registered in Bengaluru against BJP leaders, including Mahendra Bhatt.

A major political turn has emerged in the Haldwani ‘purification’ controversy. The Vidhana Soudha police in Bengaluru have registered a ‘Zero FIR’ against Uttarakhand BJP President Mahendra Bhatt and other BJP members regarding the alleged purification ritual performed after Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge’s public meeting. According to the police, the FIR was lodged based on a complaint by T.R. Ramappa, the former Vice-President of the Congress party’s Scheduled Tribes (ST) wing. The complaint alleges that the purification ritual was an attempt to convey an offensive message regarding the presence of Kharge, who belongs to the Scheduled Caste community. A case has been registered under sections of the Protection of Civil Rights Act, the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Meanwhile, the BJP has accused the Congress of engaging in the politics of appeasement. Notably, an FIR had also been registered against Rahul Gandhi in Haldwani a few days ago in connection with this same controversy.