NEW DELHI: In a significant political development, police personnel were deployed outside the residence of the Leader of Opposition in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, Mata Prasad Pandey, in Lucknow early on Saturday morning.
The move comes as the senior Samajwadi Party (SP) leader was scheduled to lead a party delegation to Bareilly, where recent incidents have triggered tension and raised law and order concerns.
A 14-member delegation from the Samajwadi Party had announced plans to visit Bareilly on Saturday to assess the ground situation and hear public grievances following recent communal unrest in the region. The team was to be led by Pandey himself, who had insisted the visit was intended as a peaceful, democratic attempt to understand the concerns of the people.
However, the Bareilly district administration has made it clear that no political visits will be allowed at this time.
Citing the sensitive nature of the situation, officials have stated that the presence of political leaders could risk disturbing the fragile peace.
The atmosphere remains tense, and any political activity could lead to escalation. Therefore, leaders attempting to reach Bareilly may be stopped en route or prevented from leaving their homes, a senior official said.
Responding to the move, Pandey termed the administration’s action as “undemocratic” and a violation of constitutional rights. “We only wish to meet people and understand what has happened. Stopping us like this is against the spirit of democracy, ” he said.
Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh government has imposed a 48-hour suspension of Internet and SMS services across Bareilly district. The order, effective until 3 P.M. on October 4, includes mobile internet, broadband, and messaging platforms.