Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were on Wednesday stopped at the Ghazipur border in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad district on their way to Sambhal where a clash during a mosque survey killed four persons on November 24.

Standing 125km away from their proposed destination after being thwarted by police personnel and barricades, Rahul asserted his right as the leader of the Opposition.

He waved a copy of the Constitution while alleging a plot by the Narendra Modi government to decimate it, and addressed hundreds of Congress supporters who were accompanying him before turning back and returning to New Delhi after about two-and-a-half hours.

The administration has stopped political leaders and social activists from visiting Sambhal till at least December 10, citing possible law and order problems and an ongoing investigation by a three-member commission. A mob had clashed with police on November 24 during a survey of the Jama Masjid that a local court had ordered in response to a petition that claimed the mosque was built by razing a Harihar temple during the reign of Mughal emperor Babur.

“We came to know that some people were gathering at the Uttar Pradesh border and deployed a force to stop them from moving forward,” Swatantra Kumar Singh, assistant deputy commissioner of police, said on Wednesday.

Addressing Congress workers while standing on the footrest of an SUV at the Ghazipur border, Rahul said in Hindi: “The police claim that there would be law and order problems if I visit Sambhal. I want to be there to see the place where violence erupted and meet the people of the area, but the police have blocked the road to stop me. I requested the cops to take only me to Sambhal in their vehicle, and that no Congress worker would accompany me, but they were not ready to let me reach Sambhal in any situation.”

“The government can’t stop the leader of the Opposition from going to a place in the name of protection of law and order. The LoP has certain constitutional rights but the BJP government is not ready to recognise this,” Rahul said.

Pausing for a moment, Rahul asked Priyanka to give him a copy of the Constitution. Holding up a red-coloured pocket edition of the Constitution, Rahul said: “I, as the LoP, have certain rights under this Constitution. But the new India is not ready to recognise it. They (the BJP) want to scrap the Constitution, which was given to us by (Babasaheb Bhimrao) Ambedkarji. But we will keep fighting against this plan of the Centre.”

Wayanad MP Priyanka told reporters: “Whatever happened in Sambhal was wrong. Rahulji is the leader of the Opposition, he has constitutional rights that are different from others. He cannot be stopped like this. He holds a constitutional position and has the constitutional right to meet the victims (of violence). He was ready to go there alone with the UP police but they didn’t agree. The policemen don’t have any answer to justify their act. The UP government claims with pride that it has maintained proper law and order, but it also says that it will not be able to handle the situation (if Rahul visits Sambhal).”

Samajwadi party president and former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav told reporters in Delhi: “The government is not allowing Opposition leaders because it wants to hide something from the country. The DM and the SP of Sambhal should be booked and arrested for inciting violence and the murder of four persons. The police should also book those who were accompanying the commission (during the mosque survey) and chanting divisive slogans.”

The Uttar Pradesh government accused Rahul of resorting to theatrics.

Deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said in Lucknow: “Rahul is doing theatrics to divert the people’s attention from the Congress’s defeat in the Maharashtra elections and the victory of the BJP. Akhilesh has a gang of goons who committed violence in Sambhal. Both leaders are against peace and harmony. They should have tried to visit Sambhal once the prohibitory orders are withdrawn.”