Guwahati, Aug 29 (IANS) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday expressed gratitude to Union Home Minister Amit Shah for his guidance and mentorship during the latter’s two-day visit to the state.
In a post on X, Sarma wrote, “It was an honour to receive the guidance and mentorship of Adarniya Shri Amit Shah Ji over the last 24 hours. His energy motivates us all, and we thank him for spending time with us to mark important milestones.”
The Chief Minister said he accompanied Shah to the airport as the senior BJP leader departed for Delhi after attending a series of events in Guwahati, including the Panchayat Representatives’ Conclave and the birth centenary celebrations of former Assam Chief Minister Golap Borbora.
Shah’s visit is being seen as a significant political push for the BJP ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections, with the Home Minister combining tributes to Assam’s cultural icons with sharp attacks on the Congress.
Meanwhile, Home Minister Shah on Friday said that former Assam Chief Minister Golap Borbora was among the many leaders sidelined by the Congress despite their towering contributions to the nation, and stressed that it was Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government that had restored honour to such figures.
Speaking at Borbora’s birth centenary celebrations at Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra here, Shah said the socialist leader embodied empathy and service.
“I pay my heartfelt tribute to former CM Golap Borbora on his birth centenary. He played a crucial role in shaping Assam’s politics and contributed significantly in the years after Independence,” he said.
The Union Home Minister quoted Bharat Ratna Bhupen Hazarika’s famous lines “Manuhe Manuhor Babe, Jibon Jibonor Babe”, saying Borbora lived by those ideals.
Recalling his political journey, Shah highlighted Borbora’s tenure as general secretary of the Samyukta Socialist Party in 1965, his support for railway workers during the strike, and his strong stand against Indira Gandhi’s Emergency.
“When Borbora became Chief Minister in 1978 as Assam’s first non-Congress leader, a new era began for the state,” he added.
Targeting Congress, Shah said the party only celebrated its own icons while neglecting others.
–IANS
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