Assam shrine asks Rahul Gandhi to visit after Ram Temple ceremony is over

The management of Assam's Batadrava Than, the shrine where Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is slated to visit tomorrow, has said that the MP will be allowed to enter after Ayodhya Ram Temple's consecration ceremony, ANI reported.

The management committee said that it is expecting many devotees to come to the shrine because of the consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

“Tomorrow is the Pranpratishtha of Ram Temple and many devotees will come to the Than,” the management committee said. "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."

Jogendra Narayan Dev Mahanta, the President of Batadrava Than management committee around 10,000 people are expected to gather at the shrine tomorrow.

“At that time we do not want Rahul Gandhi to come here, because there may be some difficulties in the process of welcoming him,” he said. "…He can come tomorrow after 3 pm and we will be able to give him a grand welcome. We have already informed the local MLA, District Commissioner and SP."

Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to visit and offer prayers at the Batadrava Satra, the birthplace of Srimanta Sankardeva, on Monday when Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be presiding over the Ram Mandir consecration ceremony in Ayodhya.

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Srimanta Sankardeva, an Assamese saint-scholar, social-religious reformer, poet, playwright, is revered as an icon and a towering figure in the cultural and religious history of Assam.

Earlier today, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma urged Gandhi, who is in the northeastern state for his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, not to visit Batadrava Than.

''We will request Rahul Gandhi not to visit Batadrava on Monday during the consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple as it will reflect Assam in the wrong light,'' Sarma said.

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Citing the reason that there can be no competition between Lord Ram and the medieval-age Vaishnav saint, the chief minister further said that the Congress leader could visit the shrine after the consecration ceremony is over, without creating “unnecessary competition, which would be sad for Assam'.

Meanwhile, the Congress has asserted that Gandhi's visit will proceed as scheduled.

All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Jairam Ramesh maintained that Gandhi will visit the Than in Assam's Nagaon district as planned and urged that “no politics should be done over it”, according to ANI.

He said Gandhi will visit the Than on Monday morning and then commence the day's Yatra, during which he will travel through Morigaon district before entering neighbouring Meghalaya.

On Saturday, the Congress alleged that the vehicles taking part in the Yatra in Assam were attacked and banners were torn in North Lakhimpur. The party blamed Assam CM for creating difficulties in their Yatra.