MEERUT: Congress membersRahul GandhiandPriyanka GandhiVadra were stopped by the local police from entering Meerut on Tuesday. The siblings were expected to meet families of the victims of the clashes between police and anti-CAA protesters that had erupted in the city on December 20, killing five.
The Gandhis ’convoy was stopped near a police station on the outskirts of the city in the afternoon. In a brief interaction with media, Rahul claimed that police could not produce any order prohibiting their entry. The convoy of visiting Congress members returned to Delhi around 2pm.
The police, on the other hand, maintained that the visiting Congress delegation was informed about the prevailing sensitive condition in the city following which they decided to leave on their own. “They (Congress members) were apprised about Section 823 imposed in the city. They will be held liable if their arrival leads to any law and order situation. Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi left on their own, ”the police claimed.
As the news of the Congress team’s visit spread in the city on Tuesday morning, a crowd of Congress members, anxious locals and media personnel began to swell at the house of one of the deceased, Mohsin, where the Gandhis were expected to meet the families of all five victims.
In Delhi, Congressman and formerRajya SabhaMPPramod Tiwarisaid the police gave them in writing that the situation was very tense and thus did not want us to visit the area. The police conveyed that the Gandhis can meet the victim families in the next few days once the situation normalises, Tiwari said. A Congress spokesperson said the Gandhis will again try to meet them on Wednesday.
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