A Congress delegation, planning to offer condolences and support to families who tragically lost children and women to a man-eating leopard in Uttar Pradesh’s Bijnor district, was placed under house arrest by police on Tuesday, September 23, 2025.
This swift police intervention immediately sparked outrage, with U.P. Congress president Ajay Rai condemning the move as a display of the state government’s ‘insensitivity and dictatorship.’ He argued that the authorities were desperate to silence the opposition and stifle democratic expression.
“Recently, two children and women tragically lost their lives in a series of leopard attacks in Bijnor. Under my direction, a Congress team was scheduled to visit the area to investigate these incidents firsthand and meet with the victims’ families,” Mr. Rai explained to reporters. “However, a government whose failures and lack of compassion are already evident to the public became so threatened that it deployed police force to detain our delegation members. This authoritarian tactic not only highlights dictatorial tendencies but also proves the government’s unwillingness to confront the suffering of its people or acknowledge the truth. The Congress party remains committed to advocating for the affected families and ensuring they receive justice.”
Despite the detention, Mr. Rai confirmed that one delegation member, Dr. Aazad Beg, along with local party workers, successfully eluded police surveillance. They managed to reach the affected villages, enabling Mr. Rai to speak directly with the victim’s families. “The escalating man-animal conflict presents an alarming situation, and it’s clear the government has failed to take effective action,” Mr. Rai asserted.
Among the Congress delegation members confined to their homes were former Minister Haji Ikram Qureshi, district president Henrietta, city president Humayun Baig, and former district president Sherbaz Pathan. Attempts to reach the Bijnor police for comment on the sudden detentions were unsuccessful.