Rahul Gandhi, a Congress leader, alleged today that authorities in Assam are preventing his visit to the Batadrava Satra Temple, the birthplace of Srimanta Sankardeva, a 15th-century Assamese saint and scholar, in Nagaon.
Questioning the imposed restrictions, Mr. Gandhi stated, “We want to visit the temple. What crime have I committed that I cannot visit the temple?” He emphasized the peaceful intent of the visit, saying, “We don’t want to create any problems; we simply want to pray at the temple.”
Yesterday, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma urged Mr. Gandhi to reconsider the route for his ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra,’ expressing concerns about potential clashes with the consecration ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
Mr. Gandhi added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would now decide who can visit the temple, emphasizing, “Only one person can enter the temple.”
Following the incident, Congress leaders and Mr. Gandhi initiated a sit-in protest in Nagaon.
Chief Minister Sarma stressed the need to avoid unnecessary competition between the consecration ceremony of the Ram temple and the visit to the birthplace of Srimanta Sankardeva at Batadrava. He urged Mr. Gandhi to reconsider, expressing concerns about the potential negative impact on Assam’s image.
“I urge Rahul Gandhi to not create a notion that there is a competition between Ram Temple and Batadrava Satra because the TV channels will be flashing Ram Temple Pran Pratishtha ceremony on one side and him visiting Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardeva’s birthplace on the other side. This won’t be good for Assam,” stated Mr. Sarma.
The Congress announced nationwide protests this evening, alleging “planned attacks” on the convoys of Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Assam. Party general secretary KC Venugopal accused the Assam Chief Minister of orchestrating attacks on their convoys, properties, and leaders, labeling him as “the most corrupt chief minister in India.”
Mr. Venugopal called for large-scale protests across the country, denouncing what he claimed to be an “assault on democracy” in Assam by the BJP-led government.
During a road show yesterday, Mr. Gandhi encountered a hostile crowd at a roadside eatery in Nagaon, with slogans raised against him and placards displayed with messages like ‘Anyay Yatra’ and ‘Rakibul go back,’ referring to Samaguri Congress MLA Rakibul Hussain.
