From Bordowa to Guwahati, Shah wraps up 1-day Assam visit with key inaugurations

Guwahati, Dec 29: Union Home Minister Amit Shah concluded his one-day visit to Assam on Monday after a packed day of inaugurations and commemorations, blending cultural revival with administrative outreach in Guwahati and Nagaon’s Bordowa.

Shah wrapped up his engagements with the inauguration of the Rs 291-crore Jyoti–Bishnu Antarjatik Kala Mandir at Khanapara, one of the marquee cultural projects unveiled during the visit.

“On behalf of the people of Assam, I expressed my warm gratitude to Adarniya @AmitShah ji as he departed from Guwahati after an eventful day wherein he dedicated several projects to the people and paid tributes to our Bir Swahids,” Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma wrote on social media.

Earlier in the day, Shah had inaugurated the Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardeva Abhirbhav Kshetra at Borduwa, the birthplace of the Vaishnavite saint, before returning to Guwahati to continue his scheduled programmes.

Returning from Nagaon in a Border Security Force (BSF) helicopter around 3 pm, Shah went on to inaugurate several infrastructure and cultural projects in Guwahati, including the Guwahati Police Commissionerate and the Rs 291-crore Jyoti–Bishnu Antarjatik Kala Mandir.

Inaugurating the kala mandir, Shah said the cultural complex, named after iconic figures Rupkonwar Jyoti Prasad Agarwala and Kalaguru Bishnu Prasad Rabha, symbolised Assam’s cultural resurgence and developmental journey.

“The more one speaks about the contributions of Agarwala and Rabha, the less it feels. Both played foundational roles in shaping Assamese identity, art, literature and the freedom movement,” Shah told a packed auditorium.

He added that while Assam had witnessed militancy, bomb blasts and gunfire a decade ago, the state was now firmly on the path of development.

Shah accused the Congress of having compromised Assam’s identity to protect its vote bank and said the new complex reflected a confident and progressing Assam.

Chief Minister Sarma, in his address, highlighted the immense contribution of the two cultural icons.

“They catalysed the rebirth and renaissance of Assamese culture. We feel proud today to have dedicated this auditorium in their names,” Sarma said.

The Chief Minister further said, “It is a proud day for us as we have been able to construct a 5,000-capacity auditorium. This complex is the biggest not only in the Northeast but in the entire eastern India. It is a world-class cultural centre equipped with modern facilities.”

Before inaugurating the kala mandir, Shah also opened the new Rs 111-crore building of the Guwahati Police Commissionerate along with a citywide surveillance system comprising 2,000 CCTV cameras. Both projects have been developed at a combined cost of Rs 292 crore.

Amit Shah inaugurating new Guwahati Police Commissionerate building and the Intelligence City Surveillance System (Photo: @CMOfficeAssam/X)

The surveillance network also includes 60 citizen safety and alerting systems, significantly strengthening the security framework of the Northeast’s largest city.

Shah also inaugurated an exhibition on the New Criminal Laws, organised by the Assam Police’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID), at the newly commissioned eight-storey Commissionerate office in Khanapara.

Titled “Exhibition on Naveen Nyaya Sanhita”, the exhibition aims to create public awareness about the new criminal laws.

Earlier in the day, Shah paid homage to the martyrs of the Assam Agitation at the Swahid Smarak Kshetra in Guwahati.

Union Home Minister paying homage at Swahid Smarak Kshetra in Guwahati (Photo: @CMOfficeAssam/X)

He was accompanied by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Assam Accord Implementation Minister Atul Bora and other senior officials.

The memorial, inaugurated earlier this month, honours the 860 martyrs of the six-year-long Assam Agitation, which concluded in 1985 and was aimed at freeing the state from illegal immigration.

With inputs from PTI