Chandigarh, Sept. 1 -- Punjab and Haryana Congress leaders on Tuesday staged a protest in Chandigarh against the FIR registered against Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, over the Haldwani 'purification' controversy.

Senior Congress leaders, including Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Punjab Congress working president Raj Kumar Verka, joined the protest. Several leaders were detained by police.

Uttarakhand's Haldwani City Kotwali Police has registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Rahul Gandhi following a complaint regarding his remarks about a "purification ritual" in Haldwani, alleging that he hurt the sentiments of a person belonging to the Scheduled Caste.

Verka said, "This is the ugly face of the BJP. And the ...