Congress VP Rahul Gandhi heads to riot-hit Saharanpur despite being denied permission from Uttar Pradesh administration

Despite not getting permission from Uttar Pradesh administration to visit Saharanpur, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday morning left for the riot-hit area.

According to sources, Rahul Gandhi has been accompanied by Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Raj Babbar to the Saharanpur tour.

Earlier, UP administration had denied permission to Rahul Gandhi to visit Saharanpur. UP administration had denied permission to Rahul’s helicopter to land in Saharanpur. Rahul has embarked on Saharanpur tour via road.

Two people were killed and several injured in a communal clash on May 5 after Dalit houses were put on fire. UP ADG law and order Aditya Mishra said the administration has given no permission to Rahul Gandhi to visit Saharanpur.

BSP chief Mayawati had held the state administration responsible for caste-based clashes that had occured in Saharanpur district this month.

Had the administration permitted the installation of an Ambedkar statue as well as a procession on ‘Maharana Pratap Jayanti’, the violence would have never occurred, she had said.

In Saharanpur, Mayawati had met those affected by the violence and demanded compensation for them. In Muzaffarnagar also, she had lashed out at the state government for the violence.

“The district administration of Saharanpur did not allow Dalits to install a bust of Ambedkar, while the procession to mark the birth anniversary of Maharana Pratap was taken out without any permission,” Mayawati had said.

Rahul Gandhi leaves for Saharanpur from his residence in Delhi pic.twitter.com/2k29EmaDUE

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 27, 2017

Also read: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi denied permission to visit riot-hit Saharanpur