As Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ prepares to re-enter Assam following its Meghalaya leg, the Himanta Biswa Sarma government in Assam has imposed conditions, denying permission for the yatra to traverse through key city roads in Guwahati. The state administration argues that allowing the yatra on these roads during a working day might cause traffic disruptions, instructing it to take the National Highway 27 route around the city as it heads towards lower Assam.
This development follows a previous clash between the Assam Chief Minister and Congress leaders, who accuse him of obstructing the yatra’s progress. The previous day witnessed dramatic scenes near the shrine of 15th-century social reformer Srimanta Sankardeva in Assam. Rahul Gandhi had planned to visit the birthplace of the Vaishnav saint near Guwahati, prompting Chief Minister Sarma to request him to postpone the visit until after the Ram Mandir ‘pran pratistha’ ceremony in Ayodhya.
“I urge Rahul Gandhi to not create a notion that there is a competition between Ram Temple and Batadrava Satra because the TV channels will be flashing Ram Temple Pran Pratishtha ceremony on one side and him visiting Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardeva’s birthplace on the other side. This won’t be good for Assam,” said Chief Minister Sarma.
The managing committee of the shrine also declared that Rahul Gandhi would not be allowed to enter before 3 pm. When the Congress leader and his associates were stopped on their way to the shrine, they staged a dharna at the roadblock site. Party MP Gaurav Gogoi and Batadrava MLA Sibamoni Bora proceeded to the shrine and offered prayers.
Addressing the media later, Rahul Gandhi emphasized his belief in Sankardeva’s philosophy, advocating for unity instead of spreading hatred. He expressed his intention to pay respects to the saint upon his visit to Assam.
Now, the Congress yatra faces restrictions on entering Guwahati roads, being directed to use National Highway 27 instead. The Congress alleges that the Himanta Biswa Sarma government is intentionally creating obstacles in the yatra’s path and cited incidents of slogans being raised during the yatra passage.
The yatra also faced challenges in Meghalaya, where the BJP is part of the ruling alliance. A planned interaction between Rahul Gandhi and students at a university was canceled, leading to a revised meeting at a hotel near the Assam-Meghalaya border. During his time in Meghalaya, he is set to meet with Congress leaders from the Northeast.
Nithin Rosh 
Nisham Ismail