Rahul, Priyanka plan Sambhal visit despite ban on outsiders' entry
Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra are expected to visit Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, on Wednesday. The planned visit comes after violence in the area claimed five lives during a survey of Shahi Jama Masjid recently. However, the district administration has restricted the entry of outsiders till December 10 in view of the sensitive situation.
District administration attempts to block Gandhi's entry
On Tuesday, Sambhal District Magistrate Rajendra Pensiya asked officials of neighboring districts to keep Rahul out. Letters were written to police commissioners and superintendents of Gautam Buddha Nagar, Ghaziabad, Amroha, and Bulandshahr. Prohibitory orders were issued under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023. Barricades have been constructed in several points, and vehicle checks have begun along the Delhi-Sambhal highway. Massive traffic backups were reported on Delhi-Meerut Expressway, especially at the Ghazipur border, which connects Delhi and Noida.
Violence and forensic findings in Sambhal
The violence in Sambhal erupted on November 24 during a court-mandated survey of the mosque, which was claimed to have been originally a temple. The protests allegedly included gunfire, stone-pelting, and arson by members of the minority community. A forensic team discovered six empty cartridges marked "made in Pakistan" and one "made in USA" from the site. Superintendent of Police Krishan Kumar Vishnoi termed these findings "very serious."
Political reactions and security measures in Sambhal
"Some shells buried in the ground have been recovered. 'POF', ie, Pakistan Ordnance Factory, is written on one shell, and 'FN Star' is written on another shell," the officer said. "'Made in USA' is also written on another cartridge recovered from the site," he added. Along with the Gandhis, five Congress MPs from Uttar Pradesh are scheduled to visit Sambhal.
