Dehradun/Haldwani, Sept. 2 -- Police in Nainital have launched an investigation into a case registered in Haldwani concerning Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi's statements against an alleged purification ritual held at a city venue days after a rally by Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge. The FIR was registered based on a complaint by Amit Kumar, a member of the Shri Ram Sena Charitable Service Trust Committee, which conducted the ritual. It was registered under Section 3(1)(Q) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, Sections 196 and 299 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and other relevant provisions. Kumar alleged that Rahul's statements about the ritual lent an unwarranted caste- driven angle to it and hurt the reputation of those involved. He also claimed to be a member of an SC community. Police said city circle officer Amit Kumar Saini was leading the probe. Kumar's statement was recorded and videographed on Tuesday, and officers said they were verifying alleged evidence submitted along with the complaint. Police said the procedure to record Gandhi's statement had not yet been finalised. Officers said they were also looking into a separate complaint filed by an advocate in connection with the ritual. SSP Dr Manjunath TC said the complainant was asked to submit digital evidence in support of the complaint and the material was being examined. Meanwhile, state Congress workers staged a protest march in Dehradun and a separate demonstration outside the Haldwani SSP's office on Tuesday. The protest in Haldwani witnessed heated exchanges between party workers and police after a Congress delegation was initially stopped from entering the SSP's office. The delegation sought an investigation into the alleged purification ritual. The situation eased after police sought time until Thursday to examine the complaints and take appropriate action. City SP Manoj Kumar Katyal said the complaint submitted by Congress city president Govind Bisht was under investigation. In Dehradun, Congress workers led by party state chief Ganesh Godiyal marched from Congress Bhawan to the state Secretariat and staged a gherao in protest against the alleged ritual. Protesters attempted to cross police barricades outside the Secretariat, resulting in brief scuffles with police personnel. Congress leaders demanded that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) clarify its position on the incident. "The BJP must explain. Is the politics of 'purification', carried out after a rally by a Dalit leader, acceptable in a democracy?" Godiyal said, demanding the quashing of the FIR against Gandhi Congress leaders also targeted BJP state chief and Rajya Sabha MP Mahendra Bhatt over his defence of the ritual. Cabinet minister Rekha Arya accused the Congress of politicising a sensitive issue concerning caste and social harmony. Arya alleged that while the Congress was building a political narrative around Dalit dignity, it had shown little concern for the safety of Dalit youths who, she claimed, felt insecure following Rahul Gandhi's press conference and subsequently sought legal recourse. She questioned who would take "responsibility for the safety of these youths and said concern for Dalit welfare should not remain confined to speeches and press conferences. Arya also rejected Rahul Gandhi's allegations concerning social harmony in Uttarakhand. She claimed that the "purification" event had been organised by an independent social organisation that had denied any links with the BJP. The minister alsp accused the Congress of using the Dalit issue to pursue what she called "Muslim appeasement" politics. She also questioned the party's alleged silence over alleged sloganeering at the rally. Arya accused the Congress of attempting to create divisions within Hindu society to divert attention from its own political challenges. She also referred to Dr BR Ambedkar's electoral defeats in the 1950s and questioned why he was awarded the Bharat Ratna only in 1990....