Rahul, Priyanka stopped at Ghazipur border on way to violence-hit Sambhal

Ghaziabad: Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were stopped at the Ghazipur border on Wednesday as they attempted to visit the violence-hit Sambhal district in Uttar Pradesh, setting off a dramatic standoff with the state police.

The Gandhis, accompanied by senior party leaders, were forced to return to Delhi after being denied permission to proceed. Their convoy, which included General Secretary KC Venugopal and five Congress MPs from Uttar Pradesh, was halted around 11 am, with barricades erected to prevent their entry.

Rahul Gandhi stepped out of his vehicle, confronting senior police officers and questioning the restrictions, but his appeals were rejected. The standoff triggered traffic snarls on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway as Congress workers clashed with police, attempting to breach the barricades.

After being halted, Gandhi stated he was prepared to travel alone to Sambhal with the police but was denied.

“We are attempting to reach Sambhal. The police are denying us, not permitting our request. As the opposition leader in Lok Sabha, I have the right to proceed... I mentioned that I am prepared to go by myself, I am willing to go with the police, but they did not agree to that either,” he stated.

“They’re now claiming that if we return in a few days, they’ll allow us to proceed. This is indeed in conflict with the rights of the opposition leader in the Lok Sabha. I should be permitted to proceed,” he said to the reporters.

BJP officials in Uttar Pradesh criticized the Congress’s action as a “performance” intended to “satisfy its Muslim voter base.”

Priyanka Vadra said what happened in Sambhal was wrong and as the LoP, Rahul Gandhi has the constitutional right to visit it.

“He is different from other people. He cannot be stopped. He has the constitutional right to go and meet the victims, he should be allowed,” the Wayanad Lok Sabha member added.

In a tweet, KC Venugopal said, “We are determined to meet the victims’ families and promote peace and communal harmony. The UP government must let us visit Sambhal.”

The Gandhis’ visit came against the backdrop of communal unrest in Sambhal, where tensions erupted over a court-mandated survey of the Mughal-era Shahi Jama Masjid. The controversy stemmed from a petition alleging the mosque stood on the site of an ancient Harihar temple.

Authorities had imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita 2023, restricting gatherings of more than five people. District officials had issued directives to intercept the Congress delegation at the border, with surveillance heightened across Ghaziabad, Amroha, and Gautam Buddha Nagar.

Superintendent of Police Krishan Kumar warned of legal action against anyone attempting to flout the restrictions. The orders remain in place until December 10 to maintain peace in the communally sensitive district.

The Congress lashed out at the UP government, accusing it of stifling democratic rights. Senior leader Jairam Ramesh called the decision to block the delegation a sign of “dictatorship.”

“We wanted to visit Sambhal peacefully, but we were stopped without justification. This is a denial of our democratic rights,” Ramesh said. Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai echoed the sentiment, terming the blockade “a murder of democracy.”

Party sources said the Gandhis had planned a brief visit, intending to return to Delhi by 3:30 pm. However, with police refusing to relent, the Congress delegation had no choice but to turn back, leaving party leaders fuming.

The Uttar Pradesh government defended its actions, citing the need to maintain law and order. State Excise Minister Nitin Agarwal criticized the Congress visit as “political tourism,” accusing the party of trying to disturb the fragile peace in Sambhal.

“Rahul Gandhi’s visit is a deliberate attempt to spread unrest,” Agarwal alleged. He also blamed Samajwadi Party (SP) leaders for inciting violence during the survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid.

“The administration acted swiftly to control the situation in Sambhal, but SP leaders created chaos and disrupted the process,” he added.