Police confined Congress MP Imran Masood and SP MLA Shahnavaz Khan at their homes.
Leaders were scheduled to meet senior police officials amid Bareilly unrest.
Masood accused selective targeting of Muslims and criticised government response.
Congress MP Imran Masood and Samajwadi Party MLA Shahnavaz Khan were confined to their residences on Tuesday night, preventing them from travelling to Bareilly, reported PTI.
The leaders had planned to travel to the city by an early morning train on Wednesday to meet senior police officials, including the DIG and ADG. A police team has reportedly been stationed outside their homes since Tuesday night. The police have not issued any statement explaining the action.
Addressing reporters at his residence, Masood said, “We follow the Gandhian ideology. We were to leave at 6.50 am for Bareilly to meet the DIG and ADG and return by 1.30 pm. But the government is using such tactics to hide its failures.” When asked if their visit could have worsened the situation in Bareilly, he replied, “It is the government and the police who have made the situation abnormal. Muslims are being selectively targeted. One set of laws applies to us, another to others.”, PTI reported.
The unrest in Bareilly dates back to September 26, when violent clashes erupted outside a mosque in the Kotwali area following Friday prayers. The incident involved stone-pelting by a crowd of over 2,000 people and was linked to the cancellation of a proposed protest over the 'I Love Muhammad' poster row called by Khan.
Masood also referred to incidents in Fatehpur and Muzaffarnagar, alleging that attacks on religious sites and lootings had gone unchecked, while peaceful protesters faced strict action. “If such an atmosphere prevails in the country, then people must remain cautious,” he added.
(With inputs from PTI)
