Former Congress president and MP Rahul Gandhi was briefly stopped near the Haryana border on Tuesday while he was leading a farmers' rally to protest against the farm laws.
After confrontation and heated arguments between Congress leaders and the police on the interstate border, Rahul along with activists were allowed to enter Haryana where they were received by Haryana leaders, comprising former Chief Minister Bhupinder Hooda and state party chief Kumari Selja.
Haryana Government officials had apparently told Gandhi that only 100 people would be allowed to enter the state. Three tractors, including Gandhi’s, were allowed to pass. Several top Congress leaders travelling with Gandhi were left behind.
Meanwhile, Gandhi had earlier shared a video of the Congress cavalcade at Haryana’s border on Twitter and said that he would patiently wait for permission to proceed. “They have stopped us on a bridge on the Haryana border,” he wrote. “I’m not moving and am happy to wait here. 1 hours, 5 hours, 24 hours, 100 hours, 1000 hours or 5000 hours.” The Congress leader added that he only wanted to move along peacefully. “When they open the border, I will peacefully proceed,” he said. “Until then I will peacefully wait here.” The tractor rally was a part of the Congress’ “Kheti Bachao yatra”
At the border, on the Haryana side, state Congress chief Kumari Selja, senior leaders Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Randeep Singh Surjewala, Kiran Choudhary, Ajay Singh Yadav and party's Haryana affairs in charge Vivek Bansal were present.
Ahead of Gandhi's tractor rally in Haryana, the BJP-led government on Monday had said the Congress leader can bring a few people in the state but it will not permit a big crowd from Punjab which can "disturb" the atmosphere. Chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar said Gandhi has the right to put forth his views but "if he comes with a big procession from Punjab, we won't allow it".