Guwahati: Broke barricades, but will not break law, says Rahul after police stop Nyay Yatra
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma had said earlier that the Yatra would not be allowed to enter the city in order to avoid traffic jams
Rahul Gandhi said after Cong supporters burst through police barricades outside Guwahati city, "We have broken barricades but will not break law," according to PTI.
When the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, headed by Rahul Gandhi, was prevented from entering Guwahati on Tuesday, Congressmen ripped down barriers and chanted slogans in anger.
In order to prevent the Congress supporters from continuing, the police had to use force.
To prevent any traffic congestion, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had already said that the Yatra would not be allowed to enter the city. In spite of this, PTI reported that sizable crowds flocked to Khanapara's Guwahati Chowk to enthusiastically welcome Gandhi with drum beats and shouts.
AICC representative for Assam Jitendra Singh said, "We have won as we have broken the barricades."
VIDEO | Congress workers stopped by police during the ongoing 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' in Joarabat, #Assam.
(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvqRQz) pic.twitter.com/QMKKy3PYz1 — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) January 23, 2024
The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) said on Monday that the yatra led by Rahul Gandhi had chosen to travel via the Guwahati bypass on Tuesday. Nevertheless, authorization to travel via Guwahati's major thoroughfares has been refused by the Assam government.
The Guwahati police, according to the Congress, requested that the yatra be conducted via NH27 (the Khanapara, Jayanagar, Basistha, Gorchuk, and Lokhra route). The plan to take the 'Nyay Yatra' through the major roads of Guwahati has been abandoned, according to press sources cited by Assam PCC spokesman Bedabrata Bora. We are not allowed by the cops. We will now convene for a protest gathering at Khanapara, after which the yatra will proceed via the Guwahati bypass in the direction of the Lower Assam area."
The Yatra's last leg took it back to Assam after entering Meghalaya on Monday. According to reports, the route was to pass via Guwahati, the biggest city in the state. However, it's unclear right now. Assam is where the Yatra is expected to remain till Thursday.
Rahul Gandhi was prevented from traveling to Batadrava Than on Monday due to "issues related to his security." On the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra path in the central Assamese districts of Nagaon and Morigaon, opposing narratives about the Right-wing ecosystem and the Congress surrounding the dedication of the Ram temple were played out "peacefully" throughout the day.
According to the police, Rahul was denied entry due to a letter from the Sri Sri Batadrava Than Parichalana Committee requesting that he come after 3pm due to the large number of devotees anticipated on the day of the Ram temple dedication.
According to sources, a group of young people from the area organized a live streaming of the opening ceremony of the Ram temple outside the Than. It was also anticipated that a sizable crowd would visit Rahul. They said that the Than committee want to prevent any miscommunication between the two parties.
The invitation to the opening of the Ayodhya temple was declined by the Congress brass, which led the Right-wing environment to label them as "anti-Hindu."
Rahul attempted to go to Haiborgaon, the birthplace of saint-reformer Srimanta Sankardeva, to pay his respects, but he encountered police roadblocks.
