Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra: Rahul Gandhi stopped from entering holy shrine in Assam, Cong workers stage sit-in

Initially, security officials stopped Gandhi, and later the Batadrava Than shrine management said that Rahul Gandhi can enter the shrine after 3 pm— which is after the completion of the Ram temple consecration ceremony in Ayodhya.

Guwahati: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was stopped on his way to Batadrava Than at Bardowa, the birthplace of 15th century Vaishnavite religious leader Srimanta Sankardev in central Assam's Nagaon district, on Monday morning. The authorities of the monastery asked him to visit after the consecration of Ram temple at Ayodhya.

Congress said Gandhi was compelled to sit on the road at around 8.15 am at Haiborgaon, a few kilometers before Bardowa. "He has not been allowed to proceed to Bardowa Than at Nagaon, for which permission was earlier granted. But it was revoked late last night, with no guarantee that he will be allowed to pay his respect at one of the holiest centres of Assam," the party said at around 10 am.

At around 10:30 am, Rahul Gandhi told reporters that he was stopped from entering the monasteries whereas others were being allowed. "They are citing possibility of law and order issues. But it is surprising that others are being allowed but I was stopped. I will visit the Than as and when I get the opportunity," Rahul said.

Congress leader and Lok Sabha member from Assam, Gaurav Gogoi along with local Congress MLA Sivamoni Bora visited the Batadrava Than at around 10 am. "They denied the persmission under the pressure of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. They said that permission can not be granted before 3pm as a large number of people will organise programmes in the premises of the Than. But when I visited it at around 10 am, there was no such programme. They are spreading lies in order to prevent Gandhi from visiting it," Gogoi, who also addressed the media along with Gandhi, said.

Videos shared by Congress showed Rahul, wearing a traditional gamosa (the traditional towel of Assamese community) around his neck, sitting on a road at Haiborgaon, many women, clad in traditional mekhela sadors, also sat around him and chanted naam, the lyrical prayers propagated by Srimanta Sankardev.

Sources said Rahul reached the site before 9 am as per schedule of the Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra. On Sunday authorities of the monastery decided not to permit Gandhi to enter the premsies before 3 pm. They said Gandhi can visit anytime after 3 pm in order to avoid the the large crowd expected during the consecration of the Ram temple at Ayodhya.

On Sunday, CM Himanta Biswa Sarma also appealed Gandhi to not visit the Than and the "communally sensititive" Nagaoan and neighbouring Morigaon district citing possibility of law and order problem.

Political observers in Assam believe that by visiting the Vaishnavite monastery, Gandhi was trying to showcase a different facet of Hinduism and counter BJP's Hindutva politics.

The Congress on Sunday said "BJP goons" attacked its leaders and workers and tried to disrupt the yatra in Assam.

The 67-day yatra began on January 14 in conflict-hit Manipur and is scheduled to culminate in Mumbai on March 20. It will cover 6,713kms traversing 15 states. The yatra is scheduled to enter Meghalaya on Monday afternoon.