BJP slams 'immature' Rahul Gandhi over Saharanpur visit

Slamming Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi who visited riot-hit Saharanpur despite being denied permission, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday said that the former took an immature decision by going to the district.

"Rahul Gandhi's idea of going to Saharanpur shows his political immaturity and lack of sensitivity to the demands of the situation. The local administration and the Uttar Pradesh administration are doing their best to bring the situation under control," BJP leader G. V. L. Narasimha Rao told ANI.

Rao further said the opposition is currently showing their irresponsible nature towards such a grave situation.

"At a time like this the political parties and leaders who indulge in such political tourism show their highly irresponsible nature. Rahul Gandhi who has also done such similar incidents earlier will never learn from his mistake," Rao said.

Firing back at the saffron party, Congress leader P. L. Punia stated that law and order situation is being handled badly by the BJP Government.

"The situation in Saharanpur is still chaotic. The way the current government has handled the issue is not good. The law and order is handled badly as they (BJP) can do much better. We can't understand why the opposition is not allowed to enter the district, as if they are hiding something from us," Punia told ANI.

"Rahul Gandhi had gone there to meet the injured but he was not allowed which is unexpected. But later on the injured victim's family had come to meet Rahul ji and also happy to see him," he added.

Gandhi yesterday said that the Uttar Pradesh administration asked him to leave as the situation is not stable.

However, the police did try to stop the Congress vice-president but the latter adamantly reached the clash-affected area to take stock of the situation.

Rahul Gandhi, accompanied by senior Congress leader Gulam Nabi Azad and Raj Babbar, also discussed the deteriorating situation prevailing in the state with the locals there.

After meeting the locals, he was seen being engaged in an altercation with the police force where he questioned them as to on what grounds he was not allowed to enter Saharanpur.

The Congress vice-president was also denied permission to visit the clash-affected district where a caste conflict had erupted in which many Dalits were allegedly targeted.

Clashes broke out earlier after Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati's visit to Saharanpur, where one person was killed and several others were injured.

In the wake of clashes between two communities in Saharanpur, the Yogi Adityanath Government transferred 174 Sub-Divisional Magistrates.

On May 5, one person was killed and 16 people, including a head constable, were injured in clashes between the Dalits and the Rajputs in Shabbirpur and Simlana villages.