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Congress general secretary KC Venugopal on Thursday gave an adjournment motion notice in Lok Sabha, over the issue of Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi being stopped on his way to visit the violence-hit Sambhal.
"In a shocking and unprecedented incident, the Leader of the Opposition, Shri Rahul Gandhi, along with a delegation of Members of Parliament, was blocked by the authorities while on their way to visit the bereaved families of the victims in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh," Venugopal stated in a notice. He further said that the act "denying permission to the Leader of the Opposition and the Members of Parliament is a grave assault on democratic norms, parliamentary privileges, and the constitutional right to freedom of movement." Venugopal said that such actions are "deplorable and warrant an immediate discussion" in the House to uphold the sanctity of democratic principles and accountability. "This denial of access to an elected representative and his delegation undermines the spirit of democracy, which mandates that opposition voices and their roles in expressing solidarity with citizens in distress be respected," he stated. Earlier today, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi also moved an adjournment motion notice in Lok Sabha to discuss the stopping of Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi by police at the Gazipur border in Ghaziabad while he was on his way to violence-hit Sambhal. In his notice, Gogoi stated that by preventing LoP Gandhi from visiting Sambhal, the government "disregarded" the right of opposition to hold the government responsible. "It is a matter of grave concern that the Leader of the Opposition Shri Rahul Gandhi, was prevented from visiting Sambhal yesterday to assess the ground realities of the recent regional tensions. The objective of the visit was to promote peace and harmony. This unprecedented and undemocratic move by the government is a blatant disregard for the fundamental principles of parliamentary oversight and the rights of the opposition to hold the government accountable," Gogoi said. Gogoi further emphasised that by "denying" Rahul Gandhi from visiting the site, the government "undermined" the responsibility of LoP to raise the concerns of the people. "As a representative of the people, the Leader of the Opposition has the responsibility to raise their concerns and hold the government accountable. Denying them access to crucial sites undermines their ability to fulll this duty. This act is a blatant attempt to stifle dissent and suppress the voice of the Opposition. This incident raises serious questions about the state government's commitment to transparency and accountability," he said. On Wednesday, Rahul Gandhi along with Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi and other Congress leaders, was stopped by the police at the Ghazipur border while attempting to proceed to Sambhal. The violence in Sambhal erupted on November 24 during an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) examination of a Mughal-era mosque. The clashes resulted in four fatalities and multiple injuries among police personnel and locals. The ASI survey was prompted by a petition filed in a local court, claiming the mosque was originally built on the site of a Harihar temple. (ANI)
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