SC, ST Congress MPs to ask President on Haldwani ‘purification’ controversy.

Congress MP Mallu Ravi. File | Photo credit: Siddhant Thakur

Thirty-two Congress MPs belonging to the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities on Monday (September 7, 2026) decided to petition President Droupadi Murmu over the alleged “purification yajna” held in Haldwani, Uttarakhand after a rally addressed by party president Mallikarjun Kharg.

In a meeting at Indira Bhavan, the Congress headquarters, the MPs described the incident as a grave attack on the dignity and self-respect of SCs and STs and a direct affront to the constitutional values ​​of equality and abolition of untouchability.

“We discussed the shocking cleansing incident in Haldwani after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s rally. We have decided to create a parliamentary forum to fight it at all levels. We will give a representation to the President of India on Tuesday,” Lok Sabha member Mallu Ravi said.

The MPs completed a memorandum demanding the intervention of the President and appropriate measures. They also decided to create a parliamentary forum to deal with issues related to the SC and ST communities.

Congress leaders K. Raju and Rajendra Pal Gautam also attended the meeting. Mr. Raju said the proposed forum would discuss the strategy for raising issues related to the SC and ST communities in Parliament.

The alleged ritual took place on August 11, three days after Mr Kharge addressed a public meeting at the site. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi condemned the incident and demanded registration of an FIR under the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against those responsible.

Published – 07 Sep 2026 22:50 IST