New Delhi: Blaming the Uttar Pradesh government for the Sambhal incident, Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Awadhesh Prasad on Wednesday said that Sambhal was known for its brotherhood and the Bharatiya Janata Party tried to spoil the atmosphere.
"Sambhal incident is very painful and whether you see it as UP government's failure or conspiracy...full responsibility of this incident lies with UP government...Sambhal was known for its brotherhood and the BJP tried to spoil this atmosphere...Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi should definitely go (to Sambhal)...Our SP leaders were stopped from going there," Awadhesh Prasad told ANI.
Meanwhile, security has been heightened at the border as Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra are likely to visit violence-hit Sambhal, resulting in a massive traffic snarl at the Ghazipur border on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway.
BJP national spokesperson CR Kesavan called Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi's visit to violence-hit Sambhal a "manipulative vote bank scavenging," and accused him of "indulging in a dangerous game."
"Rahul Gandhi's proposed visit to Sambhal is nothing but manipulative vote bank scavenging. Rahul Gandhi fully knows that he will not be allowed to enter Sambhal yet he is enacting this cheap drama. He is indulging in a dangerous game and pedalling a deadly communal and divisive agenda purely for the reasons of his politics of religious appeasement," Kesavan said in a self-made video.
He further said that the Sambhal district administration had issued probatory orders barring outsiders from visiting the district.
"The Sambhal district administration has issued probatory orders barring outsiders from visiting but Rahul Gandhi, why is he indulging in theatrics fully knowing that his actions will incite and stoke communal tension in the area? Rahul Gandhi nor the Congress Party is bothered about social harmony and maintaining peace. All their work, all their concern is about their communal agenda and more communal tension will suit their politics of hate," he added.
Earlier today, Congress leader Ajay Kumar Lallu said that Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi will surely visit the violence-hit Sambhal and meet the families of the victims, and will raise their voices in the Parliament.
"Why is the Government stopping us? What are they trying to hide, what are they scared of? Being the Leader of the Opposition, he has the right to see what is going on in the country. The incident that took place in Sambhal is highly condemnable. People have been killed. Who is responsible? If the LoP does not visit the site, how will he keep the issue in the Parliament? We want to see the situation in Sambhal but why is the Government stopping us? Isn't this a dictatorship? Rahul Gandhi will surely visit Sambhal and meet the families of the victims," Lallu told ANI.
The violence in Sambhal district 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 followed a petition filed in a local court, claiming the mosque's site was originally a Harihar temple. (ANI)