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Clashes erupt as Rahul's yatra stopped from entering Guwahati

Last updated on: January 23, 2024 13:17 IST

The Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra was stopped from entering Guwahati on Tuesday, triggering protests from Congress workers who broke barricades and raised slogans.

The police had to use force to stop the Congress supporters from moving forward.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said earlier that the Yatra would not be allowed to enter Guwahati in order to avoid traffic jams.

 

Large crowds had gathered at the Guwahati Chowk in Khanapara and welcomed Gandhi with slogans and drum beats.

"We have won as we have broken the barricades," AICC in-charge for Assam Jitendra Singh said.

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.

WATCH: Congress workers clash with Guwahati cops after Rahul Gandhi’s yatra denied entry

Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi claimed that he was "prevented" from interacting with students of a private university in Meghalaya as part of Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra at the "instructions" of the Union Home minister.

The directive to the varsity authorities was conveyed by the Union minister through the Assam chief minister's office, he claimed.

"I wanted to come to your university and address you, listen to you. But what happened is that the Home minister of India called up the Chief Minister of Assam and the CMO called up the leadership of the university and said that Rahul Gandhi must not be allowed to speak to the students," Gandhi said, addressing students and others from atop his Yatra bus in the Assam-Meghalaya border.

Gandhi was scheduled to hold separate interactions with students, civil society members and party leaders at the University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya, (USTM) in Meghalaya's Ri Bhoi district, bordering Assam, on Tuesday morning.

The programmes at the private varsity were announced by the Congress on Monday afternoon but were re-scheduled to a hotel, also in Ri Bhoi district, later after the university withdrew the permission.

"It is not important if Rahul Gandhi comes or not. What is important is that you are allowed to listen to anybody you want. You must be allowed to live the life as you want and not as somebody else wants," he said.

"They want to turn you into slaves but I know that nobody, no power in the universe can do it," Gandhi asserted, while attacking the BJP.

He also maintained that "this is happening not only in Assam but in every school, college, university of India", where the students are "being not allowed to have their own imagination".

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