Bengaluru Police have registered a Zero FIR against Uttarakhand BJP leaders and other party membersover an alleged “shuddhikaran” or purification ritual reportedly conducted at the Ramlila Ground in Haldwani after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge addressed a public rally there on August 8.

The case was registered at the Vidhana Soudha Police Station following a complaint by Congress leader T R Ramappa, who alleged that the ritual carried caste-related implications because Kharge belongs to a Scheduled Caste community. The complaint names Uttarakhand BJP chief Mahendra Bhatt and others. Police said the FIR will be forwarded to the appropriate authorities in Uttarakhand for further investigation. 

Complaint Filed Over Alleged Purification Ritual

According to the complaint, a ritual was carried out at the Haldwani venue after Kharge's public meeting. Ramappa alleged that the act conveyed the message that the venue had become “impure” following the Congress leader's presence.

The allegation has triggered a political dispute between the Congress and BJP. The FIR itself records the allegations made in the complaint; it does not establish that the accused individuals committed the offences alleged.

The incident has also raised wider questions about caste discrimination and the use of religious or ritual symbolism in political disputes.

Zero FIR Registered in Bengaluru

The complaint was submitted at Bengaluru's Vidhana Soudha Police Station on August 31. Police sought a legal opinion before registering the case, according to officials quoted in reports.

A Zero FIR allows a police station to register a case even when the alleged offence occurred outside its territorial jurisdiction. The case can subsequently be transferred to the police station or investigating authority with jurisdiction over the alleged incident.

In this case, Bengaluru Police are forwarding the matter to authorities in Uttarakhand, where the alleged ritual took place. 

BJP Leaders Named in Complaint

The complaint names Uttarakhand BJP state president Mahendra Bhatt along with other party members. Ramappa has alleged that BJP functionaries either participated in or publicly defended the ritual.

The complaint invokes provisions of the Protection of Civil Rights Act, the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, according to reports. 

The exact applicability of the provisions will be determined during the investigation and subsequent legal proceedings.

Kharge Had Raised the Issue

The Bengaluru FIR comes amid an escalating political dispute over the alleged incident.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had written to Rajya Sabha Leader of the House J P Nadda, seeking action over what he described as the failure to register a case concerning the alleged purification ritual. Kharge's intervention came after he said several days had passed without the action he expected following assurances given in Parliament. 

The issue has subsequently moved beyond Uttarakhand politics, with Congress leaders demanding accountability and the matter now being formally recorded through a police complaint in Karnataka.

Political Row Intensifies

The controversy has acquired significance because of the identities involved and the interpretation being placed on the alleged ritual.

Congress leaders have described the act as discriminatory and have linked it to caste-based prejudice. The BJP and its leaders have faced criticism over the alleged incident, while the legal investigation will now have to establish what exactly occurred at the Haldwani venue, who organised or participated in it and whether any offence was committed.

Separately, the controversy has already prompted further political exchanges between the two parties.

Investigation to Move to Uttarakhand

With the Zero FIR registered, the next stage is expected to involve the transfer of the case to Uttarakhand authorities. Investigators will have to examine the circumstances surrounding the alleged ritual, statements from witnesses and any available video or other evidence.

The registration of an FIR should not be treated as a finding of guilt. Any criminal liability will depend on evidence collected during the investigation and the outcome of the judicial process.

For now, the case adds another layer to the growing political confrontation over the alleged “shuddhikaran” at Haldwani's Ramlila Ground, with both the Congress and BJP facing renewed pressure to explain their positions on an incident that has become a wider debate over caste, political conduct and public spaces.