Guwahati, Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi publicly questioned whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi has the authority to decide who can visit temples in India, following his denied entry to a sacred site in Assam.

According to Kashmir Media Service, Gandhi’s query came after he was refused permission to visit the birthplace of Vaishnava saint Srimanta Sankardeva in Assam’s Nagaon district. Expressing his concerns, Gandhi said, “This is strange because Rahul Gandhi cannot go there while everyone else can visit the birthplace of Srimanta Sankardeva. Will PM Modi now decide who will visit a temple and when?”

In response to the denial, Gandhi, along with other senior Congress leaders and supporters, staged a dharna at Haibargaon en route to Sankardev’s birthplace in Batadrava. Meanwhile, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi and Batadrava MLA Sibamoni Bora visited the birthplace to resolve the dispute.

Gandhi, addressing reporters, emphasized that both he and the Congress party, akin to Sankardeva, believe in uniting people rather than fostering hatred. He expressed his determination to visit Batadrava, highlighting the significance of following the path shown by Sankardeva for the nation.

The controversy began after Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma requested Gandhi not to visit Batadrava before the conclusion of the Ram Mandir inauguration in Ayodhya. Subsequently, the managing committee of the Sri Sankardeva Sattra announced their decision to prohibit the Congress leader from visiting the sattra on Monday.

This incident has sparked a debate on political and religious freedoms in India, with implications for inter-party dynamics and the role of political figures in religious affairs.