New Delhi: Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Saturday addressed a press conference in New Delhi, where he sharply criticised the BJP and RSS over an alleged “purification” ritual carried out at a venue where Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had recently held a programme in Haldwani.
Gandhi described the incident as an insult to Dalits and alleged that such practices amount to a modern form of untouchability. He demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi order an FIR against those responsible under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The Congress leader said the issue was not merely about Kharge but concerned the dignity and rights of the entire Dalit community. He accused the BJP and RSS of opposing the progress of Dalits and questioned why action had not yet been taken against those allegedly involved.
Meanwhile, a separate political controversy has erupted over Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s upcoming memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love. Reports had claimed that Penguin Random House India had dropped plans to publish the book in India after disagreements over editorial changes.
However, Penguin Random House India has rejected that description. The publisher clarified that it is not the Indian publisher of the memoir and said it had remained “willing and keen” to publish the book. It also maintained that fact-checking and editorial recommendations are a normal part of the publishing process and declined to comment on confidential discussions with the author.
The controversy has nevertheless triggered a political clash. Several Congress leaders have alleged that pressure was put on the publisher to seek changes or deletions from portions dealing with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the RSS and China-related issues. Congress leaders have described the development as a threat to freedom of expression.
Rahul Gandhi, however, appeared reluctant to focus on the memoir controversy during his interaction with reporters. When asked about the issue, he said he had “no interest” in discussing it at that moment and instead returned to what he called a serious incident involving Kharge.
The memoir is scheduled for international release on November 10 through Alfred A Knopf, an imprint of Penguin Random House. It is expected to cover Sonia Gandhi’s childhood in Italy, her marriage to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, his assassination, her entry into politics and her decision to decline the prime minister’s post in 2004.
The two controversies have added another layer to the ongoing political confrontation between the Congress and the BJP, with questions over caste discrimination, freedom of expression and political pressure dominating the debate.
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