KOTTAYAM: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's conference venue in Manarcadu has been changed due to the opposition from the Jacobite believers. Rahul Gandhi, who is campaigning for the UDF candidate Oommen Chandy in Puthuppally, was supposed to attend the conference at the ground belonging to St Mary's Syrian Church in Manarcadu. The vicar of the church decided not to hand over the ground as the believers of Manarcadu parish came out in protest against the allotment of a venue for the meeting.

After receiving the instructions from the Congress state leadership, the district leadership had booked the ground of St Mary's Syrian Church in Manarcadu for the conference venue. Ten thousand rupees was paid to the church as rent. However, the Jacobite believers soon came out in protest against the meeting.

On Saturday night, the believers approached the vicar and asked him not to allow the meeting to take place at the Church ground. Following this, the vicar decided not to hand over the ground for the meeting. Following this, the venue of Rahul Gandhi's conference was shifted to a private plot at Manarcadu junction.