Broke barricades, won't break the law: Rahul in faceoff with Assam CM
text_fields
Guwahati: The Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra was stopped from entering the city on Tuesday, triggering protests from Congress workers who broke barricades and raised slogans.
Gandhi later addressed party supporters on the outskirts of the city, and said, "We have broken barricades, but will not break the law". The police, which had set up barricades at two places to prevent the Yatra from entering the city limits, had to use force to stop the Congress workers.
Gandhi was earlier accorded a boisterous welcome as he tried to enter Guwahati and addressed some varsity students on the way.
Addressing supporters, he said while BJP president J P Nadda took the same route, they were not allowed to travel on it.
"You should not think we are weak. We have broken the barricades," he told his workers and supporters, calling them "babbar sher" (lion). "They have cancelled my programme at the university. My programme was cancelled, but the students heard me outside," he said.
Also Read: BJP, anti-women; they hail Lord Ram, ignore Goddess Sita: Mamata Banerjee
"Congress workers do not fear anyone," he said, adding that "we will defeat the BJP in Assam and form the Congress government soon." He also lauded the police for doing their job well.
"We know that police officers have done a good job and followed orders, with one person coming and lying down before the (yatra) bus. We are not against you. We are against the chief minister who is most corrupt. Our fight is with him," Gandhi said.
He said policemen were also clapping on his speech but hastened to add that they should not. Gandhi later proceeded from the designated route on the ring road. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had earlier said the Yatra would not be allowed to enter the city in order to avoid traffic jams.
Gandhi was denied permission to visit a temple in Nagaon district by police authorities citing law and order situation, with the Congress leader asking whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi will now “decide who will visit a temple and when.”
After discussions with security officials for almost an hour, only Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi and Batadrava legislator Sibamoni Bora were allowed to visit the temple to offer prayers.
Gandhi had attacked the state government, calling it “strange” that others can go to the temple but “only Rahul Gandhi cannot go.”
The Yatra, which entered Meghalaya on Monday, returned to Assam for its last leg and will travel through the outskirts of the state's largest city Guwahati. The Yatra would be in Assam till Thursday.
With PTI inputs
