Assam police barred Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi from visiting Batadrava Than, the birthplace of the 15th-16th century saint-reformer Sankardeva. Rahul Gandhi, leading the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in the state, had planned to visit the monastery on January 22 to offer prayers. He criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi, suggesting that “only one person can go to a temple today,” insinuating political pressure.
Rahul Gandhi claimed to have received an invitation for the visit on January 11 but suggested that external pressures led to the police preventing his entry. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had advised Rahul to visit the monastery after 3 pm on Monday, citing the Ayodhya Ram temple consecration in the morning. Sarma expressed concerns about media portraying the visit as a competition between the Ram temple and the monastery.
Despite the police intervention, Rahul Gandhi staged a dharna, emphasizing the importance of his planned visit to the Batadrava Than, significant for neo-Vaishnavism followers. Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi, accompanying Rahul, was allowed to visit the monastery. Following the incident, the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra continued its journey to Meghalaya.
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