Shillong, January 22: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accompanied by fellow workers held a protest demonstration in Assam’s Nagaon on Monday.
The protest was in response to Gandhi’s claim that he was prohibited from visiting Batadrava Than, the birthplace of social reformer Saint Srimanta Sankardeva. According to news agency PTI, aside from a local MP and MLA, no Congress leader was permitted to go beyond Haiboragaon, approximately 20 km from the temple site.
Rahul Gandhi, scheduled to pay homage to the local deity before embarking on his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra on Monday, asserted that he was denied entry despite possessing the necessary permission. Expressing his dismay, he remarked, “I cannot go to Sankardeva’s birthplace but others can during a law and order crisis. I will go to Sankardeva’s birthplace when I get the opportunity.”
India Today reported that Gandhi highlighted the significance of Srimanta Sankardev in Assam’s cultural thought, describing him as a guiding figure. He expressed his intent to visit Batadrava Than as he had been invited, questioning the disparity in permissions between him and others.
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh addressed the situation, stating, “Rahul Gandhi wanted to go there, and we had been trying since January 11. We were told we would be welcome at 7 am on January 22, but the sudden denial, citing a law and order situation, came yesterday. This appears to be pressure from the state government, making our visit after 3 pm challenging due to additional distance.”