PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE | Haldwani/Dehradun A case has been registered against the former Congress president and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 and Sections 196 (promoting enmity between classes) and 299 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, over his alleged remark on a ‘purification’ ritual conducted at the local Ramlila Ground in Haldwani. The FIR was registered at Haldwani Kotwali police station on Sunday based on a complaint filed by Amit Kumar of Shri Ram Sena Dharmarth Seva Nyas (SRSDSN). The Haldawni police registered FIR no 297/2026 and started an investigation, a police officer, privy to the details, said. The complainant alleged that Gandhi had used objectionable and caste-related words against members of the Scheduled Caste community during a press conference in New Delhi on August 29, which had hurt the sentiments of the Dalit community and people associated with the trust. Notably, the controversy is linked to an alleged ‘purification’ programme held at Ramlila Maidan in Haldwani on August 11 after the Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge addressed a public meeting there on August 8.