New Delhi, Dec 5 Congress MP Manickam Tagore, on Thursday, gave an adjournment motion notice in the Lok Sabha over the issue of Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi being stopped from visiting Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh.
Tagore said it was a "matter of grave concern that the LoP was prevented from visiting Sambhal to assess the ground realities of the recent Jama Masjid issue and other regional tensions".
"His objective was to promote peace and harmony and yet this undemocratic and unconstitutional move by the government violates the very principles enshrined in our constitution which guaranteed freedom of movement and the right to meet citizens. The Modi government claims to uphold constitutional values but actions like these directly contradict those claims. Denying the LoP the right to meet the affected persons in Sambhal raises serious questions about the government's commitment to transparency, accountability and constitutional rights," Tagore said in the notice.
The Congress MP urged the House to take this matter seriously and demand an immediate explanation from the government. "This is an attempt to stifle dissent and suppress the voice of the opposition undermining the rights of the citizens to express concerns," he said.
LoP Rahul Gandhi and Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who were headed to Sambhal on Wednesday, were stopped at the Ghazipur border on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway.
The Congress MPs, accompanied by many party leaders and workers were stopped by police officials on the border, citing the law and order situation in Sambhal.
Taking to social media platform X, Rahul Gandhi expressed his displeasure, stating: "The police stopped us from going to Sambhal. Being the Leader of Opposition, it is my right and duty to go there. Yet, I was stopped. I am ready to go alone, but they did not agree to that either. This is against the Constitution. Why is the BJP scared? Why is it using the police to hide its failures? Why is it suppressing the message of truth and brotherhood?"
Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi backed Rahul Gandhi’s statement, adding, "We want peace and prosperity. Even in Manipur, Rahul Gandhi took peace there. I want to ask the BJP why they stop such attempts. When any political leader wants to carry a message of peace, why do they stop them?"
The BJP criticised the Congress over the visit issue. Rajya Sabha MP and National Spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on the Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) for attempting to visit violence-hit Sambhal in Uttar Pradesh (UP), claiming that this was done to compete with Samajwadi Party (SP) for the vote bank in the BJP-ruled state.
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