It’s untouchability

Haldwani/New Delhi: Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Saturday attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sang (RSS) over the recent ‘purification’ ritual at a venue in Uttarakhand where Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had addressed a rally, calling the practice “another name for untouchability” and alleging that it amounts to a crime under the Constitution.

Rahul Gandhi demanded an FIR under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against those who performed a ‘purification’ ritual in Haldwani. Addressing a press conference at Indira Bhawan, Gandhi called the ritual an act of untouchability and a violation of the Constitution. He said the incident reflected what he described as a “BJP-RSS mindset” opposed to the dignity and progress of Dalits.

“Only BJP and RSS members do this, and it is a crime. Under India’s Constitution, this is a crime, a criminal activity. ‘Purification’ is actually just another name for untouchability. Untouchability was outlawed, yet BJP members practice it openly,” he added.

Gandhi said the ritual conveyed that Dalits were “unclean” and should not be touched. “When they perform this purification, they are effectively saying that Dalits should not be touched, that Dalits are unclean, and this constitutes a crime under the Indian Constitution,” he said.

Gandhi further said the larger political contest in the country was between two opposing ideologies. “A fight is underway in the country between two ideologies. On one side is the Constitution of India, the Constitution of Ambedkar, Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Sardar Patel. On the other is the ideology of the BJP and RSS. The politics currently playing out in India is between these two ideologies,” Gandhi said.

Gandhi also stated alleged instances of caste-based discrimination and said that despite constitutional safeguards, Dalits continue to face discrimination in everyday life. “For thousands of years, Dalits in this country have been subjected to atrocities and violence. While the Constitution made this illegal, even today, Dalit children in schools are made to clean toilets and sweep and mop floors,” he said.