The Uttar Pradesh Police on Saturday stopped a Samajwadi Party (SP) delegation from visiting violence-hit Sambhal after the District Magistrate served a notice to Leader of Opposition Mata Prasad Pandey, asking him to refrain from visiting the district given the law and order situation.
The administration’s action has sparked sharp criticism from the SP, which accused the Yogi Adityanath government of stifling opposition voices and undermining democracy.
“The BJP government is murdering the Constitution and democracy! At the behest of the ruling power, the police prevented Leader of Opposition Shri Mata Prasad Pandey Ji from going to Sambhal. Highly condemnable!” the SP said.
Earlier, the Samajwadi Party claimed that the police has placed its state unit president, Shyam Lal Pal, under house arrest.
“Yogi government is scared of the SP delegation. At the behest of the ruling power, the police stopped Honorable State President Shri Shyam Lal Pal Ji from going to Sambhal and placed him under house arrest. The BJP government is shredding the Constitution and democracy to pieces,” the party said, terming the police action “highly condemnable.”
Meanwhile, the Congress, an INDIA alliance partner of the Samajwadi Party, has also questioned the state government’s actions and demanded that the delegation be allowed to visit Sambhal.
“What is the district administration hiding? Why does the state government not want the opposition to visit Sambhal? They should allow the delegation to visit Sambhal,” senior Congress leader Pramod Tiwari said.
The SP delegation’s planned visit to Sambhal comes amid heightened tensions in the area, where the situation remains sensitive following last week’s violence during a court-ordered survey of the Mughal-era Shahi Jama Masjid.
During the survey, a mob allegedly pelted stones at the police. Vehicles were torched as the police fired tear gas shells to disperse the crowd. According to reports, five people were killed, allegedly in police firing, during the clashes.