Ready to go alone to Sambhal with police but not allowed: Rahul Gandhi

Gandhi, accompanied by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and senior Congress leaders, had planned to visit the district to meet families of victims involved in recent violence following a mosque survey

Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, was, on Wednesday, stopped at the Ghazipur border by police while en route to Sambhal in Uttar Pradesh. Gandhi, accompanied by his sister and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and senior Congress leaders, had planned to visit the district to meet families of victims involved in recent violence following a mosque survey. He was, however, denied access due to prohibitory orders in place in the area.

Gandhi expressed frustration, stating, "As the leader of the opposition, it is my constitutional right. I should have been allowed," stating that he was ready to go alone with the police but was still barred from proceeding. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra echoed his sentiments, asserting that as a constitutional officeholder, Rahul Gandhi had the right to meet the victims’ families.

Prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) were extended until December 31 in Sambhal, preventing any public gatherings. The authorities had earlier written to police commissioners and district officials, instructing them to prevent Rahul Gandhi from entering the area. A heavy police presence and barricades were set up at the Ghazipur border, blocking the Congress leaders' march ahead.

The tension in Sambhal began on November 19 when a mosque was surveyed, triggering claims about a previous Hindu temple on the site. Violent clashes erupted during a subsequent survey on November 24, resulting in four deaths and multiple injuries.