New Delhi: A day after Uttar Pradesh government barred Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi from visiting the tense town of Saharanpur, in an act of defiance the Gandhi scion is slated to reach the city soon.
Accompanied by other Congress ministers, his convoy has reached Yamunanagar in Haryana via Karnal. Rahul Gandhi plans to visit the injured in the hospital.
According to sources, the Uttar Pradesh-Haryana border has been turned into a fortress with massive deployment of police personnel.
Uttar Pradesh ADG (Law and Order) Aditya Mishra has said, “Rahul Gandhi will be stopped at Saharanpur border if he tries to enter the district.
Rahul Gandhi with Ghulam Nabi Azad and Raj Babbar among other leaders and Congress members is reportedly meeting a Dalit affected in the community clash at the Haryana-UP border.
Mishra on Friday had said that no politician or political party will be allowed to enter the violence-hit areas of Saharanpur till normalcy is restored.
“I had a word with SSP Saharanpur and he informed that Rahul Gandhi has not been given permission to visit Saharanpur,” Uttar Pradesh DGP Sulkhan Singh added.
But the Congress party questioned the decision, saying Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is nobody to stop Rahul Gandhi from visiting Saharanpur.
Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said, “Who is Adityanath to stop Rahul Gandhi from visiting the Dalit brothers? Doesn’t it show the anti-Dalit mindset of the BJP government? This kind of mindset is deplorable.”
“Congress and Rahul Gandhi will continue to speak against injustice. Nothing will be able to stop us,” he added.
ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SAHARANPUR VIOLENCE
Situated close to the border of Haryana and Uttarakhand, Saharanpur city in Uttar Pradesh has been on the boil since late April.
But fresh bout of violence broke out on May 5 between Dalits and Thakurs when the former objected to loud musical procession held by Thakurs in Shabbirpur to mark the birth anniversary of 16th-century Rajput king Maharana Pratap.
One Thakur youth was killed in the clash that ensued a vendetta strike from the Thakur community who torched over 50 houses of Dalits in the area.
The situation got tense after Dalits were denied permission to hold a ‘mahapanchayat’ on May 9. The gathering was called to demand compensation and relief for those affected in the May 5 clash.
With administration pressing for damage control, police clashed with Dalit protestors in which 12 police vehicles were set ablaze and as many cops were injured.
On May 21, the Dalits protested at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar demanding action against violence triggered by Thakurs and justice for Dalits affected.
On May 23, a Dalit was shot dead and two others were wounded in the strife-town of Saharanpur.
The Centre has now sent 400 anti-riot police personnel to Saharanpur to help the state restore peace in the region.
