Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi after he was stopped at the Ghazipur border on his way to visit the violence-hit Sambhal, in Ghaziabad, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024. Photo: PTI Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi after he was stopped at the Ghazipur border on his way to visit the violence-hit Sambhal, in Ghaziabad, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024. Photo: PTI 
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhijiliplus, who was on way to Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal, was stopped at the Ghazipur border on Wednesday.
However, as Rae Bareli MP, his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other senior Congress leaders reached the Ghazipur border in the morning, they were stopped from moving forward. Heavy police force was deployed there and barricades were put up to stop them from entering Sambhal. Rahul Gandhi later left for Delhi.
"We are trying to go to Sambhal. Police is refusing, not allowing us. As the leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha, it is my right to go... I said that I am ready to go alone, I am ready to go with the police but they did not accept that either. Now they are saying that if we come back in a few days, they will let us go. This is actually against the right of the leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha. I should be allowed to go," Rahul Gandhi told reporters.
A Congress delegation led by Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, along with Priyanka Gandhi, attempted to visit the violence-hit district of Sambhal on Wednesday, despite strict restrictions imposed by the district administration. The Gandhi siblings, along with other Congress leaders, aim to meet the families of those killed in the violent clashes on November 24.
The visit attempt follows weeks of unrest in the region over the court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid, a Mughal-era mosque, on November 19, which followed claims that the mosque site once housed a Harihar temple. Tensions boiled over during a second survey on November 24, leading to violent clashes between protesters and security forces. The violence resulted in the death of four people, with several others injured.
The district is currently under heavy security measures, with prohibitory orders in place, under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), until December 10, barring the entry of outsiders, including public representatives, unless prior approval is granted. The administration’s concerns about the “communal sensitivity” of the region have prompted additional efforts to prevent the delegation from entering.
In response to the restrictions, Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai had urged the authorities to allow a smaller group, including Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and the state in-charge, Avinash Pande, to enter the district. Rai emphasized the importance of the delegation's visit to express solidarity with the families affected by the violence.
Meanwhile, Sambhal District Magistrate, Rajendra Pensiya, had written to the police commissioners of neighboring districts - Gautam Buddh Nagar and Ghaziabad - and to the superintendents of police in Amroha and Bulandshahr, urging them to stop the delegation at the district borders.
Congress general secretary Avinash Pande had called on the public to support the delegation's visit, urging supporters to join them at the Ghazipur border before the delegation's departure. “A Congress delegation led by Mr. @RahulGandhi ji will leave for Sambhal by road from Delhi tomorrow to meet the families of victims of Sambhal violence. To support them in this struggle, I will gather at the Ghazipur border with the Congress delegation and leave for Sambhal. All of you are appealed to reach the Ghazipur border in large numbers with your supporters and give your invaluable contribution in this struggle. Your support is needed in the fight for democracy and justice,” Pande wrote on X.
Rahul Gandhi is accompanied by five other Congress MPs from Uttar Pradesh, including newly elected Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
On Monday, Congress’ Uttar Pradesh unit chief Ajay Rai also attempted to visit Sambhal but was prevented leading to a scuffle between the party workers and the police. A large police contingent had been deployed and barricades put up since Sunday night around the Congress office in Lucknow's Mall Avenue area to prevent Rai and others from leaving for Sambhal, which was hit by violence during protests against a court-ordered survey.
The Congress hit out at the BJP governmentjiliplus, saying it was trying to hide its failure with its “anti-democratic” actions. Rai, who had spent the night at the Congress office along with several party workers, later said the party delegation will visit Sambhal when prohibitory orders are lifted, PTI reported. The Congress workers moving from Delhi towards Sambhal were also stopped at the UP border by the state police.