Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, was stopped at the Ghazipur border on Wednesday while attempting to visit Sambhal, where prohibitory orders were in place. The Congress leader, along with his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other senior leaders, reached the Ghazipur border in the morning. Heavy police force and barricades were deployed to prevent them from entering the district, as part of the ongoing security measures in the region.

The curbs, imposed under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), were initially set to expire on Sunday but have now been extended until December 31. Sambhal District Magistrate Rajendra Pensia had previously written to the police authorities of nearby districts, including Ghaziabad, urging them to block Rahul Gandhi’s entry into Sambhal.

Ghaziabad Police Commissioner Ajay Kumar Mishra confirmed that the police would not allow Gandhi to enter Sambhal due to the prohibitory orders in place. Tensions have been high in the region since November 19, following the survey of a Mughal-era mosque ordered by the court, which claimed that a Harihar temple once stood at the site. Violence erupted during a second survey on November 24, with clashes between protesters and security personnel resulting in four deaths and numerous injuries.