New Delhi: Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi were forced to return to Delhi after the police prevented them from visiting violence-hit Sambhal. The two leaders were stopped at the Ghazipur border on the national highway 9 between Delhi to Ghaziabad. The police put up massive barricades all around to foil the LoP's visit to Sambhal.
There was a huge traffic jam on all the lanes of NH 9 going from Delhi to Ghaziabad. Congress workers have reached the Delhi Meerut Expressway in large numbers to welcome Rahul Gandhi. As soon as the crowd gathered, the traffic on both the roads has been completely disrupted. People are quite angry due to being stuck in the jam for hours.
Following this, the Congress leaders created an uproar at the Ghajipur border. The convoy of Rahul Gandhi stayed put there for about an hour after the police halted them. This led to a huge traffic jam. There was a heated argument between the police and Congress workers. Later, Rahul Gandhi along with Priyanka Gandhi returned to the national capital.
Speaking to mediapersons before returning, LoP Rahul Gandhi said, "We are trying to go to Sambhal. The police is refusing permission and not allowing us to go there. As the leader of the opposition, it is my right to go to Sambhal. But the police is stopping me. I have said that I am ready to go alone. I am ready to be accompanied by the police. I put my point in front of the police but they did not allow me to even go alone."
Rahul Gandhi said that the police told him that they would allow him if he would come back after a few days. "This is against the rights of the leader of the opposition. Permission should be given to go. The police action is against the Constitution. We want to go to Sambhal and want to see what happened there, want to meet the people there. But my constitutional right is not being given to me." he said.