Rahul Gandhi And Priyanka Gandhi Meet Families Affected By Sambhal Violence

Congress MPs Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra met with families affected by the Sambhal violence at 10 Janpath, Delhi. This meeting took place at their mother Sonia Gandhi's residence. The Gandhis had been previously stopped from visiting Sambhal by Uttar Pradesh authorities.

On December 4, Rahul and Priyanka were halted at the Ghazipur border while attempting to reach Sambhal. They intended to meet victims' families following recent unrest in the district. The Uttar Pradesh government had denied them permission to travel there last week.

Gandhi's Reaction to Being Stopped

At the Ghazipur border, Rahul Gandhi expressed his frustration over being prevented from visiting Sambhal. He stated, "I am ready to go alone, I am ready to go with the police, but they did not accept that too. They are saying that if we come back in a few days then they will let us go. This is against the rights of the LoP and against the Constitution. We just want to go to Sambhal and see what happened there, we want to meet the people. My constitutional right is not being given to me. This is the new India, this is the India to end the Constitution. This is the India to end Ambedkar's Constitution. We will keep fighting."

The situation in Sambhal has been tense since November 19 due to a court-ordered survey of a Mughal-era mosque amid claims of a temple previously existing on that site. Violence erupted on November 24 when protesters clashed with security forces near Shahi Jama Masjid.

Sambhal Violence Details

The unrest led to four fatalities and numerous injuries as tensions escalated during Day 2 of the survey. In response, authorities extended restrictions under Section 163 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) until December 31 in Sambhal.

Rahul Gandhi emphasised his right as Leader of Opposition to visit Sambhal and criticised the government's actions as unconstitutional. Despite being stopped at Ghazipur border, he vowed to continue fighting for his rights and those of others.

The ongoing situation in Sambhal remains delicate with heightened security measures in place until year-end. The Gandhis' attempt to visit highlights political tensions surrounding recent events in Uttar Pradesh.