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

'Against the rights of the LoP': Rahul terms police action anti-democratic

- BISWAJEET BANERJEE

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.