"Congress leaders are going there to create unrest": Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Sambhal

New Delhi [India], December 4 (ANI): Union Minister Pralhad Joshi alleged that the Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, plans to visit violence-hit Sambhal to escalate tensions in the area.
He stated that Union Ministers had been barred from visiting Sambhal following a decision by the state government and accused Congress leaders of intending to disrupt the law and order situation.
"Everyone knows what Congress has done wherever it has formed a government, be it in the country or any state. There is a law and order issue in Sambhal, and they (Congress leaders) are going there to create unrest. The state government has decided that no cabinet minister will visit the area, yet the Leader of Opposition wants to go there and inflame the situation," the BJP leader told ANI.
Joshi's comments came in response to Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who said Rahul Gandhi has constitutional rights and cannot be stopped in this manner.
Earlier today, Rahul Gandhi, accompanied by Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi and other Congress leaders, was stopped by the police at the Ghazipur border while attempting to proceed to Sambhal. They eventually returned to Delhi.
"Whatever happened in Sambhal is wrong. Rahul Gandhi is the Leader of Opposition; he has constitutional rights and cannot be stopped like this. He has the right to visit and meet the victims. He even said he would go alone with the Uttar Pradesh police, but they are not ready to allow it. The police have no answer. Perhaps the situation in Uttar Pradesh is so dire that they cannot handle even this much. Why do they arrogantly claim they have the law and order under control?" Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said earlier in the day.
The violence in Sambhal erupted on November 24 during an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) examination of a Mughal-era mosque. The clashes resulted in four fatalities and multiple injuries among police personnel and locals.
The ASI survey was initiated following a petition filed in a local court, which claimed the mosque was originally built on the site of a Harihar temple. (ANI)