Temple row: BJP demands apology, claims Rahul Gandhi insulted Assamese culture

Guwahati: BJP on Monday demanded an apology from Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi for “insulting” Assamese culture by “telling lies” that RSS had prevented him from entering a Vaishnavite monastery in Barpeta district.

“BJP demands that Rahul Gandhi come to Barpeta, kneel down and apologise to the people of Assam and women devotees of the Satra (monastery).

“He does not have the right to insult Assamese people and their culture….If he does not do it, then BJP will launch a state-wide agitation against Rahul Gandhi for his insult to the people of Assam and its culture,” BJP Election Committee Convener Himanta Biswa Sarma said at a press conference in Guwahati.

Sarma was referring to Gandhi’s comment on Monday morning that BJP and RSS prevented him from entering the Satra in Barpeta during his ‘padyatra’ in the town on 12 December.

“The truth is that Congress and Rahul Gandhi did not have any plan to visit the Satra. They just wanted to start the padyatra from there as a symbol,” Sarma, a former Congress minister said.

Later in the day when people started reacting to the incident, Gandhi paid a visit to the Satra in the evening, Sarma said.

He claimed that Assam PCC president Anjan Dutta had told party workers in the morning about the actual incident.

Dutta had told the Congress workers that the party schedule for the padayatra on that day had been delayed by an hour and they had only one chopper instead of two. As 50,000 people had gathered at the meeting organised by block Congress, the party leaders had decided to go directly to the venue.

“So it was a conscious decision by Congress not to enter the Satra,” he claimed.

Sarma also played a video clip before the media showing Assam Irrigation Minister Chandan Kumar Sarkar saying that before entering a Satra, a person should bathe and wear a dhoti.

So Congress leaders had advised Gandhi not to enter it with a promise that he would come when a formal invitation would be sent.

“It seems Rahul Gandhi did not have bath on that day. We also saw that he was not wearing a dhoti. So it is apparent from the statement of a cabinet minister of Tarun Gogoi government that the Congress Vice-president deliberately did not enter the Satra,” he added.

Sarma also challenged Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi to reveal the message or written information provided by Barpeta deputy commissioner that Gandhi was prevented from entering the Satra premises by RSS and BJP.

Gogoi had on Sunday claimed that he was informed by the deputy commissioner about RSS’ presence and its plan to stop Gandhi from entering the Satra by stationing a few women at the gates.

PTI