Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who were to meet the anti-CAA protests victim's kin in Meerut were turned back from Partapur in Banswara district, outside Meerut. Rahul and Priyanka were accompanied by former Member of Parliament Pramod Tiwari.
A heavy deployment of forces was made as soon as the news of the two leaders having left Delhi to meet the victims' kin in Meerut spread. Rahul Gandhi told reporters that they had not been shown any order but were asked to go back. "We told the police that only three of us would go but they did not agree," he said.
'Congress leaders went back on their own': UP Police
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ajay Sahni said that the Congress leaders had been shown a copy of the prohibitory orders clamped in the district and they "went back on their own". Congress leader Imran Masood reportedly made a victim's family talk to the Gandhis on phone.
According to SSP Sahni, the leaders' visit would have created tension and would lead to the violation of Section 144. Recently, Priyanka Gandhi visited Bijnor and met the families of two victims who were killed in the recent violence of the citizenship law. Priyanka also said to interact with the people of the Bijnor area.
Protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act had broken out in several districts of Uttar Pradesh on Thursday leaving at least 17 people dead and moveable and immoveable assets damaged, mostly in arson.
