A congress delegation led by Leader of Opposition Rahul and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi was sent back to Delhi from the Ghazipur border. Police stopped the delegation as it was heading towards the violence-hit Sambhal district in Uttar Pradesh.
This comes after the congress sought approval for a 5-member team for Sambhal. The Gandhi siblings, along with a group of Congress leaders, aimed to meet families affected by the clashes that unfolded on November 24, but prohibitory orders imposed in the district barred their entry.
Meanwhile, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, stepped out of his vehicle as the cops stopped his convoy. Gandhi engaged in discussions with senior police officials at the barricades.
Disappointed by the restriction Rahul Gandhi said “We are trying to go to Sambhal, but the police are refusing, they are not allowing us. As LoP, it is my right to go, but they are stopping me. I was ready to go alone and go with the police, but they did not accept that either. They are saying that if we return in a few days, they will let us go. This is ‘naya Hindustan’… where attempts are being made to end Ambedkarji’s Constitution, but we will continue to fight”
According to reports in an attempt to persuade the officials, he said “I will go aloneā Gandhiās request included offering to travel alone in a police vehicle but the permission was denied. The police cited Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) 2023, which prohibits gatherings of five or more people, as the reason for the restrictions.
Accompanying Rahul Gandhi, Newly elected MP for Wayanad Priyanka Gandhi Vadra while talking to the media said “Whatever happened in Sambhal is wrong. Rahul ji is on constitutional post. He is the Leader Of the opposition, he has a constitutional right; he should be allowed to meet Sambhal victims’ families.
Priyanka further said that Rahul said that he would go alone with the UP police but they are not ready to do that either. The police have no answer. Maybe the situation in Uttar Pradesh is such that they cannot handle even this much. Why do they say so arrogantly that they have taken care of the law and order?…”
Meanwhile, amid the ongoing winter session, SP MP Dimple Yadav while talking to the reporters outside the parliament said, “The government and administration are trying to cover up the story. They do not want the situation to get back to normal. They know that if the delegation goes there and meets people, the reality will be revealed. ”
Speaking on the Sambhal issue the Samajwadi Party MP Akhilesh Yadav said and i quote, “What does the BJP govt want to hide? From the first day, everyone including the Samajwadi Party has said that whatever the Sambhal administration has done is on the instructions of the BJP. They are not allowing delegations from any party to visit Sambhal. What are they even trying to hide?.”
However, the restrictions in Sambhal stem from violent clashes that erupted after a court-monitored survey of the Mughal-era Shahi Jama Masjid. The survey follows claims that a Harihar temple once stood at the site.
During the clashes in Sambhal, Four people were killed, and many others including several police personnel were injured as protests turned violent. To Curb the situation and maintain law and order the police imposed restrictions under Section 163. The restrictions in Sambhal were initially set to expire on December 10 but have now been extended until December 31.
Well this was not the first Congress Delegation trying to visit Violence hit Sambhal district. Earlier the Uttar Pradesh Congress President Ajay Rai, had intended to visit Sambhal but the visit was postponed. The decision comes after a Standoff with police outside its party office in Lucknow.
In addition, Samajwadi Party MP Ram Gopal Yadav, commenting on the situation, stated that even his party members were previously denied entry into Sambhal. āOur party was already going there and they too were not allowed. They (Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders) are going only now.
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The Police Authorities in Sambhal have issued notices to the neighboring districtās Police stations. According to the notice, officials were instructed to intercept the Congress leaders before they could even enter the area.
The District Magistrate has written to officers in Bulandshahr, Amroha, Ghaziabad, and Gautam Buddha Nagar, appealing to them to intercept the Gandhis at the border. He has also instructed the officials to closely monitor Rahul Gandhi’s activities on his way to Sambhal. He cited communal sensitivity to the situation as the reason for these directives.
As the cops stopped the delegation from proceeding forward where barricades brought traffic to a standstill. Massive jams and huge traffic lines were reported along the Delhi-Meerut Expressway. This comes as the Congress workers clashed with police, attempting to climb over barricades amid loud sloganeering. Despite the troubles and disruptions, the convoy was unable to proceed further.
Amidst the high-stakes political drama, forensic investigations into the violence have uncovered six bullet shells with markings suggesting origins in Pakistan. “The forensic team had to reach the spot to investigate the incident on Tuesday. Some shells buried in the ground have been recovered. ‘POF’, ie, Pakistan Ordnance Factory, is written on one shell, and ‘FN Star’ is written on another shell,”. The discovery has prompted authorities to seek assistance from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to probe potential external links into the matter.
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