Congress leader Ajay Rai plans to go to Sambhal today; barricades erected outside party’s Lucknow office

Police barricades outside Congress office and leader residences in Sambhal; Congress plans to visit despite government ban.

Police have erected barricades outside the Uttar Pradesh Congress committee office and the residences of several party leaders who were to accompany the unit's chief Ajay Rai on a fact-finding visit to violence-hit Sambhal, a party spokesperson said on Monday (December 2, 2024).

Vikas Srivastava, the spokesperson, said the barricades were erected on Sunday night itself. The Congress had plans to visit Sambhal on Monday (December 2, 2024).

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Earlier in the morning, Uttar Pradesh Police issued a notice to the Congress State president Rai asking them not to visit violence-hit Sambhal.

Speaking to PTI, Mr. Rai said, "We had decided to visit Sambhal on December 2 as the government ban on the entry of public representatives was to be lifted by November 30. Now, they have suddenly extended the ban till December 10. The government clearly wants to hide its flaws."

Mr. Rai spent the night at the Congress committee office along with several party workers.

"If prevented, we would agitate peacefully in a Gandhian way as we are followers of Mahatma Gandhi," he said.