NO ACTION AGAINST ‘PURIFICATION’ PERPETRATORS, FIR AGAINST RAHUL GANDHI: WHAT KIND OF JUSTICE IS THIS:-KUMARI SELJA

THE CONGRESS WILL CONTINUE ITS CONSTITUTIONAL AND DEMOCRATIC FIGHT AGAINST CASTE DISCRIMINATION AND UNTOUCHABILITY, THE GOVERNMENT MUST ENSURE EQUALITY BEFORE LAW INSTEAD OF TARGETING THOSE WHO RAISE QUESTIONS OVER DISCRIMINATION

Face2News/Chandigarh  

The Sirsa MP, Former Union Minister, Uttarakhand Congress Incharge and General Secretary of All India Congress Committee Kumari Selja criticised the registration of an FIR against Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi over his demand for action in connection with the alleged ‘purification’ of a stage following Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s public meeting in Haldwani. Calling the development unfortunate, Kumari Selja said it raised serious questions about the priorities of the Uttarakhand BJP government. She said that in a democracy, raising one’s voice against injustice and discrimination was a legitimate responsibility of the Opposition and such voices should not be suppressed through legal cases.

Kumari Selja said Kharge had himself raised the issue in Parliament and described the alleged incident as a matter concerning his dignity and social equality. Rahul Gandhi subsequently demanded action under the law. “If an incident allegedly hurts the dignity of an individual or community, the government’s responsibility is to order an impartial inquiry and take appropriate legal action on the basis of facts not act against those who raise questions,” she said.

Kumari Selja said her party firmly believed that insulting or discriminating against any person on the basis of caste, or promoting a mindset associated with untouchability, could not be accepted in a modern constitutional India. The Constitution, she said, guarantees every citizen equality, dignity and respect. Kumari Selja alleged that the Uttarakhand government’s approach in the matter did not appear impartial. She questioned why action against those allegedly involved in the ‘purification’ episode had not been taken while an FIR was registered against Rahul Gandhi for demanding action.

“Law must be equal for everyone. Every complaint should be examined without political prejudice and strictly according to the Constitution and the law,” she said. Kumari Selja also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to clarify the government’s position on the issue, saying that merely speaking about social harmony was not enough. Wherever allegations of caste discrimination or humiliation arise, she said, impartial investigation and lawful action must be visible. She said Rahul Gandhi had consistently raised issues concerning the Constitution, social justice, equality and the rights of disadvantaged sections. Legal cases or political pressure, she added, would not make Congress retreat from these issues.

Kumari Selja said Congress would pursue the matter through constitutional, legal and democratic means. Protecting the dignity of Dalits, disadvantaged communities and weaker sections, she said, remained central to the party’s commitment to constitutional equality.