Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, a Member of Parliament from Wayanad, were stopped at the Ghazipur border on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway while trying to reach the violence-affected Sambhal, as reported by ANI.
Their delegation was halted due to prohibitory orders enacted in the district following last month’s violence during a survey at the Shahi Jama Masjid, which resulted in five fatalities. The Congress delegation for the visit to Sambhal included the Gandhi siblings and five other Congress MPs from Uttar Pradesh. Earlier that day, a senior police officer informed PTI that Rahul Gandhi would be prevented from entering Sambhal due to these prohibitory orders. Ghaziabad Police Commissioner Ajay Kumar Mishra stated, “We will not allow Rahul Gandhi to enter Sambhal, as the administration has issued prohibitory orders.
The police will stop him at the UP gate, and a significant police presence has been arranged at the location.” Sambhal has been under restrictions imposed under Section 163 (which allows for urgent orders in cases of nuisance or potential danger) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) until December 31, 2024. This order was previously set to expire on December 1 but has now been extended for the remainder of the year.
On December 3, the District Magistrate of Sambhal, Rajendra Pensia, sent a letter to the police commissioners of adjacent Gautam Buddh Nagar and Ghaziabad, as well as the superintendents of police for Amroha and Bulandshahr, requesting that they halt Gandhi at the boundaries of their districts during this visit. The letter emphasized that following a survey on November 24, significant protests occurred among the Muslim community, which involved gunfire, stone-pelting, and arson, leading to heightened tensions in Sambhal.
It stated that until December 10, the entry of outsiders, social organizations, or public representatives into Sambhal is restricted without prior authorization from the relevant authorities, and prohibitory orders have been issued under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023.
