Drama in Delhi as Rahul's visit to Sambhal blocked

The Uttar Pradesh Police on Wednesday stopped a Congress delegation, led by Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, from visiting the violence-hit Sambhal district, leading to chaos at the Ghazipur border and escalating the political tussle over the clashes.

- Peeyush Khandelwal

A convoy of Congress functionaries and leaders, including Gandhi and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, was stopped by police at the heavily barricaded Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border, roughly 150km from Sambhal, citing prohibitory orders.

"We want to go to Sambhal and see what happened there.

We want to meet the people, but I'm not being allowed my constitutional right. This is India, where attempts are on to end the Constitution. But we will keep fighting," Gandhi said as he climbed on top of a car and held up a copy of the Constitution.

The delegation returned after hours of chaos at the border, which held up traffic for hours at the carriageway from Delhi to Uttar Pradesh,adversely affecting thousands of commuters.

Targeting the Uttar Pradesh police and administration, Priyanka said they were stopping her brother from meeting the families of the victims. "Whatever happened in Sambhal is wrong. Rahul Gandhi is the Leader of Opposition, he has constitutional rights, and he cannot be stopped like this," she said.

The BJP blunted the Congress's charge and accused it of trying to fan unrest in the region. "The state government has decided that no cabinet minister will visit the area, yet the Leader of Opposition wants to go there and inflame the situation," Union minister Pralhad Joshi said.