Barpeta Satra head dismisses Rahul's claims

Guwahati/Barpeta, Dec 14: The head of Barpeta Satra on Monday, Dec 14 dimissed Rahul Gandhi's claim that he was stopped from entering the Vaishanvite monastery and said there was no RSS agent in the religious place.

Even as Barpeta Satra Bura Satriya (head) Bakhista Deba Sarma termed as "unfortunate", the Chief Minister's attempts to connect a centre of culture and religion with politics, Tarun Gogoi stuck to his stand.

"There is no RSS agent in the Satra. It is a religious place and only religious activities are undertaken here. Where does politics come into the Satra"?," Sarma said.

"The women here are simple people and they come twice a day for participating in the community prayers in the Satra. They were only waiting at the Satra gate to see Rahul Gandhi. They do not know anything about politics", Sarma said.

"Connecting a centre of religion and culture like the Satra with politics by Gogoi who is the chief minister is most unfortunate. In future, politics and the Satra should not be interlinked", he said.

On the chief minister's claim that no land was encroached upon by illegal Bangladeshi migrants, Sarma said, "Gogoi's stock reaction 'Baadiya' (forget it) to important issues of the state would not do. "There is encroachment in our Satra (Vaishnavite monasteries) land here and in the Satras in Majuli island also", he said.

However, Gogoi maintained that the Satra had told him that Rahul Gandhi will not be allowed to enter the monastery.

"The Satra head had told me that Rahul Gandhi will not be allowed to enter the Satra. The RSS instigated it. "Never heard anyone being prevented from entering the Satra before.

I ask them even today why they prevented (Rahul from entering). Everyone has the right to enter. If RSS is not there, then why not question them why we were not allowed in," he said.

PTI