'What's my mistake?': Rahul Gandhi stages sit-in after denied entry into Assam shrine

Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Monday staged a sit-in in Assam's Nagaon after he alleged that he was not allowed to visit Batadrava Than, the birthplace of saint Srimanta Sankardeva, a social reformer of the state. Gandhi was scheduled to pay obeisance to the local deity before starting his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra on Monday - the day of the consecration ceremony of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. 

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On Sunday, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said Rahul Gandhi should avoid visiting the birthplace of Srimanta Sankardeva on January 22 as there can be no competition between Lord Ram and the medieval-age Vaishnav saint revered as an icon in the state. Sarma also said that commandos would be deployed along sensitive routes of minority-dominated areas to be taken by Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. 

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News agency PTI reported that barring a local MP and MLA, no Congress leader was allowed to travel beyond Haiboragaon, around 20 km from the temple spot.

Gandhi said that he cannot go to Sankardeva's birthplace but others can during a law and order crisis. "Srimanta Sankardev reflected the thought of Assam, and I thought that I should pay his respects as we try to walk on his path. He is like a guru to us, and that's why I thought I should visit Batadrava Than. I was invited by them, but I wasn't allowed to visit (the shrine), citing the law and order situation. However, it is weird that Gaurav Gogoi can go there, but I am not allowed."

Congress communications in-charge Jairam Ramesh said, "Rahul Gandhi wanted to go there. We had been trying since January 11, and two of our MLAs met the Management for the same. We said that we would come there at 7 am on 22nd January. We were told that we would be welcome. But yesterday, we were suddenly told that we can't come there until 3 pm."

"This is the pressure from the state government. We will try to go there, but going there after 3 pm is very difficult as we would have to cover additional distance," the senior Congress leader said.

On Sunday, the Batadrava Than's management committee had said Rahul Gandhi would be allowed to enter the premises on Monday after 3 pm. "Tomorrow (January 22) is the Pranpratishtha 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," a statement by the committee read.

(With inputs from Rittick Mondal)