Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National Spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi criticized Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi for his attempt to visit violence-hit Sambhal in Uttar Pradesh. Trivedi called it a sign of Gandhi’s “helplessness” and a “competition with the Samajwadi Party (SP).”
Earlier today, Rahul Gandhi, Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi, and other Congress leaders were stopped by police at the Ghazipur border as they tried to visit Sambhal, where violence over a disputed Mughal-era mosque claimed four lives last week.
BJP’s Criticism
Addressing a press conference, Trivedi stated:
“The Parliament session is underway, and the people have clearly witnessed the differences within the INDI alliance and their negative approach towards the Constitution. Yesterday, 42 notices under Rule 267 were received in Rajya Sabha, and the important thing is that the notices were for nine different topics. It was evident that Congress was taking forward its own agenda, and other parties of the INDI alliance decided to go their own way. Today, Rahul Gandhi’s attempt to visit sensitive areas of UP (Sambhal) is a sign of his helplessness.”
Trivedi further accused Gandhi of using the visit as a “formality” for media attention.
“This attempt was motivated by the competition between Congress and SP to get back their core vote bank and not because Congress sympathises with the issue. It was just a formality for media attention as he has failed to keep INDI alliance together,” he added.
Background of Sambhal Violence
Violence erupted in Sambhal district on November 24 during an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) examination of a Mughal-era mosque. The clashes, which left four people dead and several injured, stemmed from a petition filed in a local court alleging that the mosque’s site was originally a Harihar temple.