Assam irrigation minister Chandan Sarkar contradicts Rahul Gandhi's claim that RSS members barred him from entering a temple in Berpeta on Saturday.

Sarkar said the Congress vice-president choose not to enter the temple as he did not have the time to follow rituals and did not want to disrespect rules like wearing a dhoti before entering the temple.


An angry Rahul today claimed that he was stopped from entering a temple in Barpeta by RSS workers during his recent visit to Assam, saying this was BJP's style of politics which was "unacceptable".


A furious Congress vice president, who said he wanted to raise three issues, also targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi over Kerala Chief Minister Oomen Chandy being not invited to an event to be attended by him in Kollam on Tuesday, asserting he has "insulted" the people of the state.


Rahul was interacting with reporters while taking part in a protest by the Congress outside Parliament House over the law and order situation in Punjab.


"When I went to Assam I wanted to visit a temple in Barpeta district. And at the temple the RSS people they stopped me entering the temple. This is the way the BJP operates. "They made the woman there stand in front of me and told me that I cannot enter into the temple," he said, and asked, "Who are they to stop me?" Rahul, who was in Berpeta last Friday, said he visited the temple later in the evening when the RSS workers had left the place. Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi yesterday alleged that BJP and RSS had conspired to not allow Rahul to enter Barpeta Satra during his visit to the state.