Uttam Kumar Reddy Condemns ‘Purification’ Ritual as an Insult to Dalit Dignity

Telangana Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister Captain N. Uttam Kumar Reddy has strongly condemned the ‘purification’ ritual reportedly conducted at Haldwani’s Ramlila Maidan after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge addressed a public meeting there. He said portraying a venue where a prominent Dalit leader spoke as a place that needed purification was not merely an insult to an individual, but an affront to the dignity of millions of Dalits who have historically faced discrimination and social exclusion. Uttam said such practices are deeply unfortunate in a country whose Constitution guarantees equality and dignity to every citizen.

Uttam Kumar Reddy also criticized the Uttarakhand Police for registering an FIR against Rahul Gandhi after he questioned the incident and demanded action under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. He argued that those responsible for the alleged purification ritual should be questioned instead of targeting the person who raised concerns about it. Uttam said FIRs cannot silence questions or suppress the demand for social justice, asserting that constitutional values of equality, liberty, fraternity and social justice must prevail over discrimination and divisive politics.