GUWAHATI: The Batadrawa Than Management Committee in Assam on Sunday said it cannot allow Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who is in the state taking out the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, to enter the Vaishnavite monastery till 3 pm on Monday.
The committee urged Gandhi to reschedule the visit. He had plans to go to the place between 8 am and 9 am on Monday.
In a letter to local Congress MLA Sibamoni Bora, the committee wrote, “…The Core Committee of Batadrawa Than Management Committee met today and welcomed his (Gandhi’s) visit. However, the consecration of Ram temple at Ayodhya will be held that day and a lot of people are likely to visit Batadrawa Than. Also, various groups are organising programmes outside the Than to mark the Ayodhya event and a gathering is expected. So, under no circumstances, it is possible to allow entry to him into the Than till 3 pm tomorrow.”
The committee took this decision soon after Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had requested Gandhi not to visit Batadrawa Than on Monday before 3 pm.
Addressing media persons, Sarma said there is no competition between Ram temple and Batadrawa Than. He said if Gandhi visits Batadrawa on Monday, there would be two windows on TV channels showing Ram temple and Batadrawa Than.
“The two windows will go against the image of Assam. There is no competition. He should not come and create that competition. Otherwise, it will be very sad for the people of Assam. We will be happy if Rahul Gandhi visits Batadrawa Than after the Ram temple consecration is over,” the Assam CM said.
The Batadrawa Than is located at the birthplace of Assamese icon Srimanta Sankardeva, a social-religious reformer of the 15th-16th century. It is a holy site which holds an immense importance for the followers of neo-Vaishnavism. “If I can go to Batadrawa, he can go too. But my request is, go after 2 or 3 pm,” Sarma added.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh told journalists the party wanted Gandhi to visit the place, spend 15-20 minutes and then, continue with the Yatra.
Ramesh criticised Sarma for allegedly creating problems every day in Assam. He said the CM became nervous from the day a group of women left the venue of a “government programme” to meet Gandhi and take photos with him.
It was on January 18, the day when the Yatra entered Assam’s Nakachari from Nagaland. According to reports, dozens of women, who gathered to collect forms for a government scheme, left their queues to greet Gandhi.
“We had minor problems during the Bharat Jodo Yatra in (then) BJP-ruled Karnataka as well as Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana but no chief minister targeted the Bharat Jodo Yatra like what the Assam chief minister is now doing with Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra,” Ramesh said.
“This reflects his (Sarma’s) mindset. This is our first such experience. We are facing difficulties every day. I would request the Assam CM to take rest. We will continue with our yatra (in Assam) till January 25,” he added.
‘My vehicle attacked’
Ramesh alleged his vehicle was attacked at Jamugurihat in Assam’s Sonitpur district on Sunday. “My vehicle was attacked a few minutes ago…by an unruly BJP crowd who also tore off the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra stickers from the windshield. They threw water and shouted anti-BJNY slogans. But we kept our composure, waived to the hooligans and sped away. This is undoubtedly the Assam CM @himantabiswa’s doing. We are not intimidated and will soldier on,” the Congress leader wrote on X.
The Congress alleged “BJP goons” snatched the apparatus of its social media team.Gandhi alleged at one place, 20-25 BJP workers came in front of his bus but when he went out, they fled.“Do they think Congress is afraid of BJP and RSS workers? Tear off as many of our posters and placards as you wish. We are not bothered. We are neither afraid of Narendra Modi nor the CM here.”
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also alleged the party was being intimidated by BJP workers.