Protests erupt outside Kasba Police station as 3 arrested in alleged Kolkata college gang rape
Security forces halted Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders during their Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Assam when they tried to enter Batadrava Than, a pilgrimage site associated with Assamese saint Srimanta Sankardev.
Rahul Gandhi, in response, led a sit-in, singing the devotional “Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram” song, expressing his discontent over being denied entry on Monday.
“Maybe, today, only one person can go to a temple in this country,” Gandhi said, referring to the consecration ceremony of the idol of Ram Lalla, in Ayodhya.
Security forces, citing "orders," prevented their entry at Batadrava Than on Monday around 9 am. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh highlighted that local MP Gaurav Gogoi had sought permission for the visit earlier, but the situation changed suddenly on Sunday.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had advised Congress leaders to avoid visiting Batadrava Than during the Ayodhya consecration, alleging Gandhi was attempting to stir tensions on the day of the Ram Temple inauguration, using the name of Assam’s legend Srimanta Sankardev. The Batadrava Than management requested Gandhi to come after 3 pm.