I was stopped from entering temple in Assam by RSS, claims Rahul Gandhi

New Delhi: Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Monday claimed that he was stopped from entering a temple in Assam's Barpeta by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh during his recent visit.

A furious Rahul, 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 had on Sunday alleged that BJP and RSS had conspired to not allow Rahul to enter Barpeta Satra during his visit to the state.

On the Chandy issue, Rahul alleged the Prime Minister has insulted the people of Kerala, claiming he has "stopped our chief minister" from going to a function. "Chief Minister of Kerala represents the people of Kerala. Chief Minister of Kerala is the voice of the people of Kerala and the Prime Minister had insulted that voice. This is simply not acceptable to us," he said.

A controversy had erupted last week over the decision of SNDP, an organisation of backward Ezhava community, to exclude Chandy from attending the unveiling of former Chief Minister R Sankar's statue by the prime minister in Kollam on Tuesday.

Chandy in a press note had stated that he was "deeply saddened" over him being kept away from the function following a request of Vellappally Natesan, organiser of the event.

Referring to issues relating to Punjab, Rahul alleged that innocent people have been butchered in the state.

"You are all aware what has happened in Punjab. Innocent people have been butchered. This is completely out of order, out of line," he said. The Akali Dal-BJP combine is in power in Punjab.

Rahul concluded by saying that the BJP has to change its style of functioning. "Whatever has happened is not acceptable to people of Kerala, not acceptable to people of Punjab, not acceptable to people of Assam," Rahul said.

Chandy had said that though he should have been present at the function being attended by the Prime Minister and also because Sankar was a former chief minister and Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) chief, he was forced to take the decision to stay away, following the organisers' request.

(With additional information from PTI)