Guwahati/Barpeta: In a development that can cause embarrassment to Congress scion Rahul Gandhi, Barpeta temple Burha Satriya (Chief) has out rightly rejected Gandhi’s claim that he was denied entry into the 16th century Vaishnavite monastery in Assam last Saturday.

Head of the Monastery Basistha Sharma has said that he personally waited for over four hours at the temple to receive the Congress Vice-President, until Gandhi by-passed the place and took a different route.

On Monday, Rahul Gandhi taking a dig at PM Narendra Modi and the alleged incident of Kerala CM having been told to stay away from PM’s event in Kerala, stated that he was personally denied entry at Barpeta temple due to the ‘RSS people’.

However, not accepting this allegation, Barpeta temple chief has said that there were no demonstrations at the temple gate at all and that he personally waited at the temple gate for four hours on Saturday along with former chief minister Bhumidhar Barman and several other senior Congress leaders.

Calling the allegation ‘baseless’, Sarma pointed that on Saturday, the number of people attending the ‘Naam Prasanga’ (prayers) increased many folds just because Rahul Gandhi was visiting the temple.

“The devotees were also disappointed because Gandhi took a different route by-passing the temple,” he said adding that the temple is not affiliated to any political wing and that it is a religious place where only religious activities are allowed.