Told not to enter Uttar Pradesh: Maneka Gandhi

Bareilly, Mar 14 : Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Maneka Gandhi said was stopped from entering her own constituency-the curfew-hit Bareilly district of Uttar Pradesh-on Sunday.

Gandhi was part of the three-member fact-finding team sent by BJP president Nitin Gadkari to the district.

"I was stopped at Ghaziabad by central police jeeps. But I was not told why can't I enter my own constituency. They only showed me a written order," Gandhi said.

"When I told them that I am part of the fact-finding team, they said if I force my way to the district, I will be stopped from entering Uttar Pradesh itself," she added.

Asked if presence of politicians will worsen the situation, the BJP leader said: "Perhaps not. I don't think politicians are here to interfere in a bad way."

Saying that the situation in the district is 'very unruly' even on the 13th day of curfew, Gandhi said: "Had the administration be allowed to function properly, situation would be different. The sense of justice is needed to be restored immediately."

Curfew continued in parts of Bareilly on Sunday following communal clashes in several parts of the district.

As the tension refused to die down, curfew was extended to five police station areas on Friday evening.

On Saturday there were fresh reports of arson. A vegetable market was set on fire by the rioters near the main Kotwali police station of Bareilly.

Senior police officials maintained that the situation was being reviewed regularly and though tension prevailed, it was under control.

Additional forces have been deployed in areas where necessary, police added. The five areas hit by communal violence are Subhashnagar, Kotwali, Kila, Prem Nagar and Baradari.

Arrangements were also being made to supply essential commodities in areas which have been under curfew for the last 12 days, police added.

On Friday evening, 15 people, including a superintendent of police, were injured in clashes against the release of a Muslim cleric who was arrested for his alleged role in the communal clashes of March 2.

On Friday, people of a community had protested against the release of Maulana Tauquir Raza Khan, president of Ittehad-e-Millat Council. He was arrested for making inflammatory statements during a rally that led to communal violence in parts of Bareilly last week.

Trouble had sparked off over the passage of a Barawafat procession when exchange of hot words between members of rival communities snowballed into a violent clash.