Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and Congress Leaders to Visit Sambhal Today Amid Ban on Outsiders' Entry

Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, newly elected Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi, and other Congress leaders are set to visit Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal on Wednesday, despite restrictions imposed by the district administration until December 10. The restrictions follow recent violence sparked by a survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid, prompted by a petition alleging the site was once a temple.

Sambhal District Magistrate Rajendra Pensiya on Tuesday instructed officials from neighboring districts, including Bulandshahr, Amroha, Ghaziabad, and Gautam Buddha Nagar, to prevent Rahul Gandhi from entering Sambhal by stopping him at their district borders.

VIDEO | Heavy police deployment at Delhi-Meerut Expressway, Ghazipur border. Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) along with the five other Congress MPs from Uttar Pradesh will visit violence-hit #Sambhal later today.

(Full video available on PTI… pic.twitter.com/oNh624TL7e

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 4, 2024

“Section 163 of the BNSS is already imposed in Sambhal. No outsider is allowed (to enter Sambhal). If they come, they will be served a notice," Sambhal SP Krishan Kumar told PTI, on being asked about Rahul Gandhi’s visit.

What Happened in Sambhal?
Violence erupted during a second survey on November 24 as protesters gathered near the Shahi Jama Masjid and clashed with security personnel. The initial survey, conducted on November 19 under court orders, followed a petition claiming that the site was once home to a Harihar temple.

The ensuing violence resulted in the deaths of five people and left several others injured.