LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai alleged that a team of police officers entered his Lucknow hotel room late on Wednesday night while he was asleep, informing him that he was being placed under house arrest ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Varanasi.
Along with Rai, around 200 Congress and Samajwadi Party workers were also put under house arrest in Varanasi and adjoining areas to prevent a proposed protest against alleged vote fraud in the Prime Minister’s presence.
According to police sources, officers entered Rai’s room and told him not to travel to Varanasi. Taken aback by the late-night intrusion, Rai expressed strong displeasure, questioning why they had come at such an odd hour and telling the inspector that “it was not the right time to visit a leader’s private room.”
After a short conversation, Rai asked the police personnel to leave his room and immediately shut the door, signalling his protest. Officials claimed the move was a precautionary measure ahead of the Prime Minister’s visit to Kashi on Thursday morning.
Besides Rai’s confinement, around 200 leaders and workers of the Congress and Samajwadi Party were placed under house arrest across Varanasi and nearby areas.
The state government took the step to avert the proposed protest by the two parties against what they alleged was “vote theft by the Election Commission at the behest of the Centre.” Anticipating demonstrations, police tightened security and moved swiftly to prevent any gatherings.
Reacting to the late-night action, Rai took to the microblogging site X to criticise the government. “Sending the police to stop opposition workers, locking leaders inside their rooms, and muzzling voices will not protect those responsible for vote theft. Every Congress worker will continue to fight, taking the message from streets to villages, and will keep challenging Modi over the issue of stolen votes,” he posted.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Modi arrived in his parliamentary constituency on Thursday forenoon, leading a 3-km-long roadshow from the police lines to Hotel Taj, where he welcomed Mauritius Prime Minister Dr Navinchandra Ramgoolam, who is on the second day of his India visit. The two leaders are scheduled to hold bilateral talks before attending cultural events together.
In the evening, Dr Ramgoolam will take a cruise from Namo Ghat to Dashashwamedh Ghat to witness the world-famous Ganga Aarti, accompanied by Indian officials. To honour the visiting dignitary, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has organised a dinner.