The proposed visit of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi to the ongoing Maha Kumbh here has been cancelled due to "want of cooperation" of the Samajwadi Party government in Uttar Pradesh in making security arrangements, the party's state unit alleged on Monday.
"We felt upset upon receiving information last night that the state government has expressed its inability to provide the necessary security arrangements for Soniaji's proposed visit," UPCC spokesman Kishore Varshney told PTI.
"We never expected such treatment from the SP government ... which had received generous assistance from the Centre for organising the congregation," Varshney said.
He said, "The party president had been planning her visit for the past one week. She kept waiting for the state's response but the latter apparently had other thoughts".
He claimed, "The state has a guilty conscience as it has failed to properly utilise the funds given for Kumbh and has been squandering the money ... This is not the first time when a non-Congress government has tried to hinder Gandhi's visit to Kumbh."
He said the she had visited the 2001 Maha Kumbh "despite the then BJP government having tried its level best to prevent her from doing so".
{{/usCountry}}He said the she had visited the 2001 Maha Kumbh "despite the then BJP government having tried its level best to prevent her from doing so".
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