Guwahati: Union Home Minister Amit Shah concluded a high-stakes, day-long visit to Assam on Monday, December 29, 2025, launching a suite of developmental projects worth over ₹1,000 crore. The visit, widely seen as the unofficial start of the BJP’s campaign for the 2026 Assembly Elections, focused on three core pillars: cultural heritage, modern security, and a firm stance against illegal infiltration.
Despite a slight delay due to dense fog, the Home Minister covered a packed itinerary, starting from the spiritual heart of Nagaon to the administrative hubs of Guwahati.
Restoring Heritage: Batadrava Than Redevelopment
The highlight of the visit was the inauguration of the ₹227-crore “Srimanta Sankardeva Abirbhav Kshetra” at Batadrava Than in Nagaon. The site, which is the birthplace of the 15th-century Vaishnavite saint-reformer Srimanta Sankardeva, has been transformed into a world-class spiritual center.
Key Feature: The complex features a 25-meter-high Guru Asana, the tallest of its kind, designed to represent the ‘Sapta Baikuntha’ (Seven Heavens).
Symbolism: Addressing a massive rally at Borduwa, Shah praised the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led government for evicting encroachers from nearly 165 bighas of land to restore the sanctity of the site.
Fortifying Guwahati: Smart Surveillance and New Police HQ
Returning to the capital, the Home Minister inaugurated state-of-the-art security infrastructure worth approximately ₹292 crore:
Integrated Command and Control System (ICCS): A ₹189-crore network consisting of over 2,000 CCTV cameras and 60 citizen alerting systems to monitor traffic and enhance public safety.
New Police Commissionerate: An eight-story, ₹111-crore headquarters at Khanapara that brings all branches of the Guwahati Police under one roof.
Cultural Renaissance: Jyoti-Bishnu Antarjatik Kala Mandir
Shah also unveiled the Jyoti-Bishnu Antarjatik Kala Mandir, a 5,000-seat mega auditorium built at a cost of ₹291 crore. Named after cultural icons Jyoti Prasad Agarwala and Bishnu Prasad Rabha, it is now one of the largest auditoriums in Eastern India, intended to serve as a hub for the region’s performing arts.
The “Poll Bugle”: Zero Tolerance for Infiltration
With the 2026 elections less than six months away, Shah’s rhetoric was pointed. He accused the opposition of using “vote-bank politics” to protect illegal immigrants and vowed that a return of the BJP government would ensure that “every single infiltrator is identified and sent back.”
“Bless the BJP with another five years, and we will protect Assam’s identity, language, and culture from those who wish to weaken it,” Shah asserted.
