Yogesh K Porwar
*Is it acceptable in constitutional India to “purify”a place after a Dalit leader has visited it?.
*How can a case be filed against Rahul Gandhi for standing by the values of the Constitution?.
*The FIR registered against Rahul Gandhi must be withdrawn immediately:Dr.G.Parameshwara.
The FIR registered by the Uttarakhand Police against top Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is a serious attack on democracy, the Constitution and social justice.
By filing a case against a leader who raised his voice against caste discrimination and untouchability,the BJP government has exposed its true mindset.
After Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge addressed a public meeting in Haldwani, a so-called “purification” ritual was carried out at the venue he had visited.
Such an act taking place after the visit of one of the country’s most prominent Dalit leaders cannot be dismissed as an ordinary matter.It raises serious questions about the casteist mindset that continues to exist in our society.
Is it acceptable under the Constitution of this country to “purify”a place after a Dalit leader has visited it? If not, should those responsible for such an act not be punished?.
Rahul Gandhi has simply raised this question.He has questioned caste discrimination and spoken out against the evil practice of untouchability.
But what did the BJP government do? Instead of taking action against those responsible for the discriminatory act, it registered an FIR against Rahul Gandhi for questioning it.What could be more ironic than this?.
What is even more shocking is that a case has been registered against Rahul Gandhi under the SC/ST Act, despite the fact that he spoke in support of the dignity, equality and constitutional rights of Dalits.
What else can this be called but a misuse of a law that was enacted to protect Dalits,when the same law is being used against those who speak in their support?.
My question is simple:Is speaking against untouchability a crime?.
Is questioning caste discrimination a crime?.
Is raising one’s voice for the dignity and self-respect of Dalits a crime?.
The Constitution of India has abolished untouchability and guarantees every citizen the right to equality, dignity and self-respect.
It is the duty of every government to protect the ideals of the Constitution given to us by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.But threatening and filing cases against those who stand up for these very ideals only shows the BJP’s disregard for the Constitution.
Rahul Gandhi’s voice cannot be silenced through police cases. Crores of Indians like me stand with him.As a member of the Dalit community, he has my complete support.
Such incidents will not stop us from raising questions of social justice.On the contrary, we will intensify our fight against caste discrimination.
The Congress party will raise its voice even more strongly for the dignity and self-respect of Dalits.
The FIR registered against Rahul Gandhi must be withdrawn immediately.There must be a fair and transparent investigation into the so-called “purification” ritual carried out in Haldwani, and strict legal action must be taken against those responsible.
The Congress party will continue to fight every attempt to weaken the Constitution,justify caste discrimination and suppress the voice of social justice.
