Members and leaders of the Kalaburagi District Congress Committee staged a protest here on Tuesday against the FIR registered against Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi over his remarks on an alleged ‘purification’ ritual conducted after AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge addressed a Congress rally in Haldwani in Uttarakhand on August 8.

Congress workers gathered outside the Mini Vidhana Soudha and burnt tyres during the protest. They alleged that the ritual conducted at the venue after Mr. Kharge’s address amounted to untouchability and questioned the registration of a case against Mr. Gandhi for raising the issue.

Congress leaders said Mr. Gandhi had sought action against those responsible for the alleged ritual to highlight discrimination and untouchability faced by Dalits. The issue was raised to draw attention to the treatment of a senior Dalit leader and to question what the plight of ordinary Dalits in villages would be if such incidents were allowed to continue.

Questioning the registration of FIR against Mr. Gandhi instead of taking action against those who allegedly conducted the ritual, the agitating Congress workers warned that the party would launch a nationwide protest if the FIR was not withdrawn and action was not taken against those responsible for performing purification ritual.

Mr. Gandhi had earlier demanded action under the SC/ST Act against those who allegedly conducted the ritual, describing it as a manifestation of untouchability. In turn, the Haldwani City Kotwali police registered the FIR on August 30 based on a complaint by Amit Kumar, a Haldwani resident and office-bearer of the Shri Ram Sena Dharmarth Seva Nyas. He alleged that Mr Gandhi’s remarks had hurt the sentiments of the Scheduled Caste community.

MLAs M.Y. Patil and B.R. Patil, MLC Jagdev Guttedar, Kalaburagi Urban Development Authority chairman Mazhar Alam Khan, Gescom chairman Praveen Harwal, Kiran Deshmukh and Renuka Singhe were among those present.