New Delhi, Feb 18 : Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday visited the famous Kashi Temple in Varanasi -- Lok Sabha constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi -- and offered prayers to Lord Vishwanath.

Later in the day, he also held a roadshow in the town, as a mark of show of strength.  Rahul’s visit to the holy town has sparked off controversy over the ‘failure’ of temple administration to furnish pictures of his paying obeisance to Lord Shiva.  Blaming the state government, Congress accused it of ‘blocking’ Rahul’s ‘shivbhakti’. However, the state government has rubbished the charges as ‘blatant lie’. 

Congress, via its X handle, hurled a barrage of allegations against the temple administration as well as state government and termed it a plot to deny Congress leader, an opportunity to get photos clicked at the sanctum sanctorum. 

The party said that the temple authorities denied opportunity to our cameraman to click pictures of Rahul offering prayers at the temple, at the last moment and it was done at the behest of district administration.  “Our permission was rejected at the last hour.

District administration, despite its assurances, didn’t provide us pictures for more than 3.5 hours,” the party said.