The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi stopped for over two hours at Haibargaon in Assam’s Nagaon, when it was blockaded on the way to Batadrava Than on Monday morning.

After leaving the night halt camp in Nagaon’s Rupahi around 8:25 am on Monday, the yatra started moving towards the Batadrava Than – until it came across barricades and police personnel. The Congress had announced earlier that its schedule for January 22 includes a morning visit to Batadrava Than in Nagaon district – the birthplace of revered Vaishnavite reformer-saint Srimanta Sankardeva and one of the most sacred sites for Assamese Vaishnavites.

Unable to move forward, the convoy led by Rahul stopped by the barricades. He sat on the ground surrounded by supporters, who sang ‘Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram’ in unison.

Around 9:30 am, Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi and Batadrava MLA Sibamoni Bora were allowed past the barricades to visit the Than.

According to AICC leader Jairam Ramesh, while the original plan was for Rahul to visit the Than, in the end only the two Assam leaders were permitted to go and that it was decided that the yatra would proceed after their return.

Rahul Gandhi, other Congres leaders sit on dharna in Assam’s Nagaon after being stopped from visiting Sri Sri Sankar Dev Satra templehttps://t.co/45XJOzOMBa pic.twitter.com/1joWt0bAjl

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On Sunday, the president of the Than management committee had written to the Congress MLA from Batadrava constituency, telling her that Rahul would not be permitted to enter the premises before 3 pm on Monday since thousands of people were expected gather there in the morning because of the pran pratishtha at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya at that time.

Significantly, earlier in the day, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, while speaking to the media in Guwahati, had suggested that Rahul should visit the Batadrava Than after the programme in Ayodhya and not in the morning.

“It shouldn’t be like there is a competition between Ram Mandir and Batadrava… That is not good for Assam. So we request that we would like it if he goes to Batadrava Sattra after the Ram Mandir programme is done… There is no competition and he should not come and create the image of that competition,” he had said.

After Gogoi and Bora’s return, the yatra left Haiborgaon for the rest of its programme for the day.

Around 2 pm, a crowd wielding saffron flags stood in wait along the yatra’s route at Jagiroad in Morigaon district. The yatra is supposed to pass through this area to reach Jorabat on the Assam-Meghalaya border.