Rahul Gandhi's Denied Temple Visit Sparks Controversy in Assam

Nagaon: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday who arrived at the Batadrava Than, the birthplace of revered Vaishnavite saint Srimanta Sankardeva, in Assam, took a veiled dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi after he was denied permission to enter the shrine.

"We want to visit the temple (Batadrava Than). What crime have I committed that I cannot visit the temple?..." Rahul Gandhi said.

"I want to go to the temple, what is wrong with this? Earlier we were invited but now the administration is saying that we cannot go. "Aaj sirf ek vyakti mandir mein ja sakta hain..."(Perhaps today only one person can go to the temple)," the Congress leader said in an apparent dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of the 'Pran Pratishta' ceremony at Ayodhya Ram Temple.

The Congress leader's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra is currently on its Assam leg.

The management committee of the Batradava Than had on Sunday said that Rahul Gandhi will be permitted to enter Batradava after the Ayodhya Ram Mandir's 'Pran Pratistha' ceremony.

"Tomorrow is the Pran Pratishtha of Ram Temple and many devotees will come to the Than. Apart from this, many programmes have been organised outside the Than premises where thousands of devotees will gather. For that reason, Rahul Gandhi's visit programme will be after 3 pm and it has been decided in the meeting," Than Management Committee stated.

Congress General Secretary in-charge Communications, Jairam Ramesh said that the only objective was to stop Rahul Gandhi from visiting the religious place.

"Rahul was permitted to go to Batradava Than. This is a historical place. It is the birthplace of great religious person Shankar Dev Ji. Gaurav Gogoi, who is an MP from here, was also given permission. Suddenly we are told that we cannot go... This is pressure from Assam government. Its only objective is to stop Rahul ji from going to this religious place. This cannot be a greater injustice," Jairam Ramesh said

"We said that we would come there at 7 am on January 22. We were told that we would be welcome. But yesterday, we were suddenly told that we couldn't come there until 3 p.m. We will try to go there but going there after 3 pm is very difficult as we would have to cover an additional distance," the Congress leader said.

Amid a war of words with the Assam Chief Minister over 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra', Congress leaders including Rahul Gandhi, Jairam Ramesh, Gaurav Gogoi and KC Venugopal were stopped from going to Batadrava Than, a religious place in Satra village on Monday.

Yesterday, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma appealed to Rahul Gandhi to visit Bordowa Than after the completion of the Pran Pratishtha programme at Ram Mandir, going to be held today.

"I want to appeal to Rahul Gandhi to visit Batadrava Than after the completion of the Pran Pratishtha ceremony at Ram Temple," he said.

Congress MP from Assam, Gaurav Gogoi asserted that the action of the state government will not reduce devotion of Rahul Gandhi nor it will impact the power of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.

"It is a matter of great misfortune for Assam that right from the first day of the yatra, Rahul ji has been repeatedly expressing his devotion towards Shankar Dev ji and he has been stopped today. The present BJP government is stopping us from our devotion. This will not reduce Rahul ji's devotion and the power of Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra will also remain complete. Ever since Assam CM has said that Rahul Gandhi can go to the Bordowa Than only after 3 pm, the attitude of the administration has changed," Gogoi said.

Meanwhile, Assam CM Himanta yesterday said that Satra Samitee hasn't invited Rahul Gandhi. In the evening, you can go but don't bring Assam into a bad light.

"He can go to Batadrava after 2 pm or in the morning hours. I feel if he does not go to Batadrava during those 2-3 hours during the Pran Pratishtha event will be good", said Sarma.