“The entire country is celebrating Ram Lalla‘s ‘Pran Pratistha” in Ayodhya. Why are you talking about Ravan today? At least today talk about Lord Ram. After 500 years, we are talking about Lord Ram,” Sarma said.
Sarma termed the consecration ceremony as a “turning point” and “reawakening of national consciousness”.
The CM, who is in Guwahati, viewed the live streaming of the ceremony at the Harijan Colony.
The CM’s remark came as Gandhi was stopped at Haibargaon en route to the sattra (Sankardeva’s birthplace) where he along with senior Congress leaders and supporters staged a dharna.
The Wayanad MP and other Congress leaders also sang various bhajans including the famous “Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram” during their protest.
Gandhi questioned the police on why he was being stopped from visiting the sattra. “Will PM Modi now decide who will visit a temple and when,” he asked.
Ugly spat
Sarma and Rahul have traded sharp insults over the past few days as the Congress’s Bharat Jodo Yatra makes its way across Assam. It is scheduled to travel through Assam till January 25, covering a total of 833 km across 17 districts..
Rahul has repeatedly called Sarma the “most corrupt CM in India”, while Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the Assam CM was PM Modi’s “chela”, which is why the “yatra has come under repeated attacks”.
The Congress has claimed that its Bharat Jodo yatra convoy has been attacked by BJP workers twice.
On Sunday, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh’s vehicle was allegedly attacked and media persons covering the yatra were “manhandled” by miscreants in Assam’s Sonitpur district, a party leader said.
The attack came a day after the Congress alleged that vehicles taking part in its Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Assam’s North Lakhimpur were attacked and banners were torn “by BJP goons”.
(With inputs from agencies)