Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were stopped at Delhi’s Ghazipur border on Wednesday while attempting to visit Sambhal in Uttar Pradesh.
Five persons were killed in clashes in Sambhal on November 24 during a court-ordered mosque survey.
Authorities on Wednesday cited prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and concerns over law and order in stopping the Congress delegation.
Rahul Gandhi criticised the move, stating, “It is my constitutional right to meet the victims. This is the new India, an India ending [BR] Ambedkar’s Constitution.”
The Congress delegation, which included five party MPs from Uttar Pradesh, proposed sending a smaller team of four to five members, but this too was denied by the police.
Traffic on the Delhi-Meerut expressway slowed as Congress leaders and supporters protested at the barricades.
The district administration in Sambhal had earlier extended restrictions until December 31, prohibiting political leaders and outsiders from entering the area. District Magistrate Rajendra Pensia wrote to neighbouring districts, urging officials to block entry to Congress leaders, citing the “communal sensitivity” of the situation.
The violence in Sambhal erupted on November 24 after a group protested against the survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid in Chandausi, which some petitioners claim was built on the site of a Hindu temple.
Samajwadi Party MP Zia ur Rahman Barq and more than 700 others face charges related to the unrest. Prohibitory orders, initially set to expire on December 10, were extended amid ongoing tensions.
Senior Congress leader KC Venugopal condemned the Uttar Pradesh government’s actions, calling them “a violation of basic humanity”.
He added: “Rahul ji’s motto is ‘Nafrat ke bazaar mein mohabbat ki dukaan’ [a shop of love in a market of hate]. We are determined to meet the victims’ families in the interest of peace.”
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav also criticised the state government, asserting that allowing political leaders to visit Sambhal could “improve the situation”.
Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Giriraj Singh dismissed the visit of the Congress delegation as “political drama”.
On Monday, Congress’ Uttar Pradesh chief Ajay Rai was also blocked from travelling to Sambhal, prompting a standoff with police in Lucknow. The state unit has vowed to visit the violence-hit district once restrictions are lifted.
The Sambhal court has directed the survey team to submit its findings by December 9, with the next hearing scheduled for January 8.
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