Bengaluru police file FIR on BJP ritual post-Kharge rally

Bengaluru police have registered a zero First Information Report (FIR) against members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Uttarakhand and others in connection with an alleged purification ritual conducted at a venue after a rally addressed by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. The FIR was registered on Friday, September 4, 2026, following a complaint lodged on August 31 by T.R. Ramappa, former vice chairman of the ST Department of the Indian National Congress. According to the complaint, Kharge, who is also the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, held a public rally at the Ramlila Ground in Haldwani, Nainital district, Uttarakhand, on August 8, 2026. The complaint alleges that on August 10, BJP members and functionaries performed a purification ritual, known as Shuddhikkaran, at the same venue. This ritual was reportedly intended to convey that Kharge's presence had rendered the location impure due to his Scheduled Caste background. The complainant characterized the act as an insult and an offense under laws pertaining to untouchability and promoting enmity between groups.