Congress leaders alleged that both Rahul and Priyanka were turned back from Partapur, outside Meerut.

A heavy deployment of forces was made as soon as the news of the two leaders having left Delhi to meet the victims' kin in Meerut spread.

Rahul Gandhi told reporters that they had not been shown any order but were asked to go back.

"We told the police that only three of us would go but they did not agree," he said.

Rahul and Priyanka were accompanied by former Member of Parliament Pramod Tiwari.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ajay Sahni said that the Congress leaders had been shown the copy of the prohibitory orders clamped in the district and they "went back on their own".

Congress leader Imran Masood reportedly made a victim's family talk to the Gandhis on phone.

The SSP said that the leaders' visit to Meerut would have led to violation of Section 144 and created tension.

It may be recalled that on Sunday, Priyanka Gandhi had made a visit to Bijnor district and met families of two persons, killed in recent violence over the citizenship law.

UP Congress president Ajay Kumar Lallu said that Priyanka had also interacted with people in the area.

Protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act had broken out in several districts of Uttar Pradesh on Thursday leaving at least 17 people dead and moveable and immoveable assets damaged, mostly in arson.