Rahul Gandhi’s yatra faced high drama on Monday as he was denied permission to visit the Sri Sri Sankardeva Satra in Nagaon district and hold a meeting in Morigaon district. This resulted in a strong reaction from the Congress leader, who questioned if Prime Minister Narendra Modi would decide who can visit a temple. Gandhi and other senior party leaders protested by sitting on dharna after being stopped at Haibargaon. Gandhi claimed that the authorities did not provide any reasons for stopping him. He expressed his desire to pray at the temple and questioned why he was being prevented from doing so.
The Congress alleged that Prime Minister Modi exerted pressure on the Assam government to prevent Gandhi from visiting the birthplace of the iconic saint Sankardeva. Gandhi stated that he believed in Sankardeva’s philosophy of bringing people together and not spreading hatred. He referred to Sankardeva as their guru who provides them with direction. Gandhi mentioned that they had received an invitation but were told about a law and order situation, without any specific reasons mentioned. Despite this setback, Gandhi expressed his intention to visit Batadrava when he gets an opportunity, and emphasized that both Assam and the entire nation should follow the path shown by Sankardeva.
The drama continued as the Morigaon district administration asked Gandhi to refrain from holding street corner meetings and a padayatra as part of the ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’. The administration cited potential law and order issues and the simultaneous consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya as reasons for their request. The district administration expressed concern about miscreants disrupting peace and tranquility in the area. Meanwhile, the managing committee of the Sri Sankardeva Satra announced that Gandhi would not be allowed to visit before a certain time, following a request from Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi and Batadrava MLA Sibamoni Bora proceeded to offer prayers at the Satra. Gogoi mentioned that there was no crowd and accused the chief minister of spreading lies and rumors. The Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh criticized the refusal to allow Gandhi to go alone and cited the ASL resolutions for the event’s security. State Director General of Police G P Singh also posted guidelines for the Yatra participants and advised caution to ensure the safety of the prominent personality (PP), Rahul Gandhi.
Despite the obstacles, the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra continued, and on the ninth day, Rahul Gandhi received a warm reception in Nongpoh, Meghalaya. The crowds cheered for Gandhi as their soldier in Delhi, contributing to the positive end of the day’s events.
