Rahul Gandhi slams BJP after police stopped him on his way to Sambhal
Dec 04, 2024
New Delhi [India], December 4 : Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after being stopped at the Ghazipur border in Ghaziabad on his way to violence-hit Sambhal.
The Congress MP stated that visiting Sambhal was his constitutional duty and described the restrictions placed on him as unconstitutional.
https://x.com/RahulGandhi/status/1864229268210815066
In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi wrote in Hindi: "The police stopped us from going to Sambhal. As the Leader of the Opposition, it is my right and duty to go there. Yet I was stopped. I am willing to go alone, but even that was not allowed. This is against the Constitution. Why is the BJP afraid? Why is it using the police to conceal its failures? Why is it suppressing the message of truth and brotherhood?"
The Congress leader also shared a video showing his interaction with a police officer.
Earlier today, Rahul Gandhi, along with Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi and other Congress leaders, was stopped by the police at the Ghazipur border while attempting to proceed to Sambhal. They eventually returned to Delhi.
"We are trying to go to Sambhal, but the police are refusing to allow us. As Leader of the Opposition, it is my right to visit, yet they are stopping me. I am ready to go alone or even under police escort, but they have rejected that as well. They claim we can return in a few days, but this violates the rights of the Leader of the Opposition and the Constitution. We simply want to visit Sambhal, meet the people, and understand what has happened. Denying this right reflects the state of 'New India,' an India undermining the Constitution and Ambedkar's vision. We will continue to fight," Rahul Gandhi said earlier in the day.
The violence in Sambhal erupted on November 24 during an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) examination of a Mughal-era mosque. The clashes resulted in four fatalities and multiple injuries among police personnel and locals.
The ASI survey was prompted by a petition filed in a local court, claiming the mosque was originally built on the site of a Harihar temple.
