Let's Not Talk About Ravan Today: Himanta Biswa's Jibe At Rahul Gandhi On Ram Mandir Inauguration Day

Today, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma drew upon a reference from the Ramayan in response to a reporter's inquiry about why Rahul Gandhi of the Congress was denied entry into a temple in the state. On being asked by the reporter why Rahul Gandhi was denied entry to a temple in Morigaon, the CM told 'her not to talk about Ravana on the day of Ram.'

"Why are you talking of Ravan?" Mr Sarma replied. "At least talk about Ram today? After 500 years, today is a good day to talk about Ram. Today at least let us not talk of Ravan," he added.

This comes as the former Congress president was denied permission to enter the Batadrava Satra Temple in Nagaon which was pre-planned as a part of his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. The Yatra hit a roadblock when authorities prevented him from holding a street corner meeting and a foot march. The District Magistrate's office pointed to "intelligence inputs" suggesting a potential threat to "peace and tranquillity" as the reason for denying permission for Rahul Gandhi's planned events.

The Congress leader lodged strong dissent by staging a protest, sitting on a dharna on the road in Nagaon. Notably, the Batadrava Satra Temple is the birthplace of Srimanta Sankardeva, an Assamese saint and scholar from the 15th century. During the protest, the leader sang "Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram."

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Yesterday, the CM of the state had requested Rahul to reconsider his Yatra's route, citing overlap with the programmes being carried out on the occasion of the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha ceremony.

Earlier, the Congress party had declined the invitation to the ceremony, terming it a 'political program' of BJP. Mr Gandhi was not invited to the programme. Since the start of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, the Congress MP has been a vocal critic of PM Modi and BJP alleging that they have turned the consecration ceremony into a political programme.

"The RSS and the BJP have made the January 22 function a completely political, Narendra Modi function. It has become an RSS-BJP function," he said.

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"It is difficult for us to go to a political function, which is designed around the prime minister of India and the RSS. We have made it clear that whoever among our partners or our party would like to visit the Ram temple is welcome to do it. It is difficult for us to visit (the temple) on January 22. That this is a prime minister's function and an RSS function and we are going to attend it ... it is not possible," he had added, drawing brickbats from the BJP.