Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday were stopped by the Uttar Pradesh police while the two are on their way to visit Sambhal, which witnessed communal violence earlier last month after a court allowed a survey of Mughal-era Shahi Jama Masjid in the city. The Congress leaders were halted at the Ghazipur border, located between Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, when their convoy arrived there around 11 am today. The police blocked the highway with barricades, preventing them from proceeding further. According to media reports, Rahul Gandhi headed back to Delhi and will go directly to Parliament.

Upon being stopped, the Congress leaders, including Leader of Opposition (LOP) Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, exited their vehicles and held discussions with senior police officers. Despite these efforts, they were not allowed to continue their journey.

The situation escalated as severe traffic congestion and chaos unfolded, with hundreds of Congress workers attempting to breach the barricades. A massive traffic jam has been reported at the Ghazipur border on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway, as security was heightened in anticipation of a visit by Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.


लेकिन न तो मोहब्बत का सन्देश रुकेगा, न ही सच्चाई की आवाज दबेगी। pic.twitter.com/YUjvotuf3L

— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) December 4, 2024

As the Congress MPs were expected to travel to violence-hit Sambhal today, increased police presence and road blockages were set up at the border to prevent any disruptions. The situation has caused significant congestion, with commuters and Congress supporters facing delays amid the heightened security measures.

In response to the police's actions, Rahul Gandhi addressed the issue on Wednesday, saying the Uttar Pradesh police had obstructed his convoy at the Ghazipur border, preventing his planned visit to Sambhal. He added that the police had denied him his constitutional right to meet the people affected by the violence.

LOP Rahul Gandhi stated, "We are trying to go to Sambhal, but the police are refusing and not allowing us to proceed. As the Leader of Opposition, it is my right to visit, yet they are stopping me. I am ready to go alone or with the police, but they have not accepted that either. They claim that if we return in a few days, they will allow us to go. This is a violation of my rights as the Leader of Opposition and a violation of the Constitution. We simply want to visit Sambhal, understand what happened there, and meet the people. My constitutional rights are being denied. This is the 'new India,' where the Constitution and Ambedkar’s vision are under threat. We will continue to fight for our rights."

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also voiced her concern, stating, "Whatever happened in Sambhal is wrong. Rahul Gandhi, as the Leader of Opposition, has constitutional rights, and he cannot be stopped like this. He has the right to visit and meet the victims. He even offered to go alone with the UP police, but they refused. The police have no explanation for their actions. Perhaps the situation in Uttar Pradesh is such that they cannot even manage this much. Why do they arrogantly claim to have everything under control in terms of law and order?"

In contrast, Uttar Pradesh's Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak accused Congress leaders of politicizing the Sambhal violence. He urged politicians not to disrupt the state's law and order.

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The violence in Sambhal occurred on November 24, when a mob threw stones at a team of officials surveying a Mughal-era mosque. The survey was ordered by a local court following a petition claiming that a Hindu temple had been demolished to construct the mosque. The incident resulted in four deaths and numerous injuries.

 

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