Biswanath (Assam): Despite Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's suggestion that Rahul Gandhi should refrain from visiting Batadrawa Than, the birthplace of Vaishnavite saint Srimanta Sankardev, during the consecration ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, the Congress on Sunday asserted that Rahul's visit will proceed as scheduled.
The All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary Jairam Ramesh maintained that Rahul will visit the Than in Assam's Nagaon district as planned and urged that "no politics should be done over it".
Rahul is leading a 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' from Manipur to Mumbai, with the march travelling through Assam from January 18 to 25. It will be reaching Nagaon on Sunday, where it will stop for the night before proceeding onwards the next morning.
"The route of the Yatra was fixed 3-4 weeks before and as per the schedule, we will be in Nagaon on January 22," Ramesh, who is accompanying Rahul, said at the press conference here en route to the central Assam district. "We think we must visit Batadrawa Than as we are passing through Nagaon. It is the birthplace of the great social reformer Srimanta Sankardeva, whose life continues to inspire crores of people even now," he said.
"There should not have been any dispute over it. No politics should be done over it," the Congress leader asserted.
As said by Ramesh, Rahul 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. The Yatra will return to Assam after a short trip in the neighbouring state.
Himanta Biswa Sarma, addressing a press conference earlier on Sunday, said that Rahul Gandhi should avoid visiting Batadrawa on January 22, as there can be no competition between Lord Ram and the medieval-age Vaishnav saint revered as an icon in the state. He also said that commandos will be deployed along sensitive routes of minority-dominated areas to be taken by the Yatra on Monday.
"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," he said. Rahul could go to the 'satra' (Vaishnavite monastery) after the consecration ceremony without creating "unnecessary competition which will be sad for Assam", Sarma added.