Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who is currently on a two-day trip to Northeast India, on Sunday said the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) is strengthening its base in the region. Speaking in Assam, he said the formation of BJP government in the state for the second time means it has permanently rejected terrorism and riots to move towards development.
"For 5 years, the way the duo of Sarbananda Sonowal and Himanta Biswa Sarma has run the government, people of Assam have preferred the path of development, which is why Sarma is the new CM. I congratulate the Assam team for Sarma's second innings," news agency ANI quoted Shah as saying.
The Union Home Minister also spoke about the recent Union Cabinet rejig and said: "Since independence, not once have five ministers from North East been selected in Cabinet. This was done for 1st time in PM Modi's Cabinet. This shows where North East stands in BJP & PM Modi's priorities. We want to increase North East's contribution in development."
For the uninitiated, the five Union ministers from the Northeast are Kiren Rijiju (Arunachal Pradesh), Sarbananda Sonowal (Assam), Pratima Bhoumik (Tripura), Dr. Rajkumar Ranjan Singh (Manipur), and Rameshwar Teli (Assam).
Meanwhile, the Union Home Minister on Sunday also visited the Kamakhya temple in Guwahati and prayed for the country's progress and prosperity. He was accompanied by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
"Worshipped at Maa Kamakhya Devi Temple, Guwahati and prayed to the mother for the progress and prosperity of the country," Shah tweeted.
Earlier, Shah launched an Assam Rifles' Green Sohra Plantation Drive in Shillong.
"Had lunch and spent a good time interacting with our valiant @official_dgar personnel in Laitkor, Meghalaya. Assam Rifles, the Guardians of the North East, is India’s oldest paramilitary force. The nation is proud of its bravery and courage," he tweeted.
