Opposition Leader’s Sambhal Visit

UP Govt. Violates Democratic Rights

Adv. Sharfuddin AhmadNational Vice President

SDPI takes strong exception to the act of blocking the political party leaders including Rahul Gandhi, the leader of opposition in the Loksabha, Priyanka Gandhi MP, the Samajvadi Party and Muslim League leaders from visiting Sambhal where 6 Muslim youths were fired to death by the UP Police. This is a gross violation of the Constitutional right of the leaders, undemocratic and totalitarian. Similarly, the citizens hold the right to protest injustice and issues adversely affecting them. The authorities have no right to suppress such protests using power and force, or to shoot the protesters. The opposition party leaders were going to Sambhal to visit the bereaved families of the youths murdered by the police, and to provide them a solace. Preventing them from this humanitarian act is not befitting a civilised society. The UP government doesn’t want the world to know the facts about the tragic death of 6 Muslim youths in the police firing during their protest against the survey of Sambhal Jama Masjid in UP. They want to cover up their failures, and people to believe what the government says on issues that the government is on the defensive. That is why they prevent political party leaders and journalists from visiting the spots of tragedies. It was the same in the Hathras gangrape case as well. The UP government is trying to put the blame for the death on the protesters. The police have, since the tragedy, been spreading the propaganda that the protesters were carrying country-made guns, and now they propagate the fake story of ‘Pakistan-made’ bullets being recovered from the spot. They fail to tell the people why those protesters carrying country-made rifles with ‘Pakistan-made’ bullets fired the protesters themselves without firing at the police, and why no policeman was wounded in the firing by the protesters with the country rifles. The UP government is trying to cover up the facts and protect the guilty of the murder of six youths. The non-BJP parties should come forward to foil this plan and bring the truth out.