Uttar Pradesh Congress president alleges house arrest during PM Modi’s Varanasi tour

Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai on Thursday (September 11, 2025) alleged that he was being placed under house arrest ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Varanasi. Mr. Rai, shared a video in which a few policemen could be seen entering his hotel room.

“The police came last night at my hotel room in Lucknow, later I was put under house arrest at my flat in Lucknow for proposed protest against vote fraud in Varanasi. They allowed me to travel after 3 p.m. But, sending police to stop us, suppressing the voice of workers will not stop the fight, this will not save the vote thieves,” told Mr. Rai, to The Hindu.

 The U.P. Congress president added that every worker of Congress will protest and raise his voice in every street and village of U.P. and India. “The police action today to stop me is out of fear and panic, but it will not stop Congress workers, vote chor, gaddi chhod resonating with the common people across the country, even in Varanasi vote chori took place to help Narendra Modi win,” added Mr. Rai. 

Around 100 Congress and Samajwadi Party (SP) workers were also put under house arrest in Varanasi to stop a proposed protest against alleged vote fraud in the Prime Minister’s presence in Varanasi. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Varanasi on Thursday for bilateral talks with Mauritius Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam. At Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport, he was received by Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath before proceeding by helicopter to police lines.