Bengaluru, Sept. 2 -- Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Wednesday defended Rahul Gandhi over the FIR registered against him for his remarks on the alleged "purification" ritual after Mallikarjun Kharge's Haldwani rally, saying that as Leader of the Opposition, he has every right to raise his voice for Dalits.

Speaking to the reporters, CM Shivkumar said, "This is a great democratic country...Rahul Gandhi has been pressurising that what has been done wrong has to be rectified through an FIR. Since he is raising his voice for the Dalits of this country, and the BJP is filing an FIR against him...as the Leader of the Opposition, he has every right to speak and every right to raise his voice, stand by all sections of society..."

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