Union Home Minister Amit Shah to reach Guwahati tonight; security beefed up

Guwahati: Assam is all set to welcome Union Home Minister Amit Shah who is arriving in Guwahati tonight. Home Minister Shah will inaugurate a host of projects. A grand meeting site has been set up in Amingaon, North Guwahati. Security has been tightened at the venue and in and around Guwahati.

Home Minister Shah's programmes include the distribution of financial grants to the tune of Rs 155 crore to 8,000 Namghars (the traditional Vaisnavite monasteries of Assam). The distribution of financial grants is being done under the Assam Darshan programme.

Shah will also lay the foundation stones for the development of 'Batadrava Than' in Nagaon, Assam. The mega project is to develop Batadrava Than into a cultural, as well as a tourist destination. This was earlier announced by Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal. He will further lay the foundation stones for the Northeast's biggest medical college in Guwahati, and ten law colleges across the state. The ten law colleges will be established at Diphu, Tezpur, Silchar, Dibrugarh, Rangia, North Lakhimpur, Bilasipara, Raha, Jorhat and Tihu, said an official spokesperson.

Shah's visit to Assam comes amid the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests being held in different parts of Assam. Various organisations, including Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS), All Assam Students' Union (AASU) and Chatra Mukti Sangram Samiti (CMSS) have been organising state-wide protests against CAA.

Last year on December 11, despite of the widespread protests in the state as well as the country, CAA was passed in the Parliament by the Centre. During those anti-CAA protests, five individuals of the state lost their lives.

Assam's music sensation, Zubeen Garg, who was actively seen protesting against CAA last year, said that he would continue to fight against the implementation of CAA in the state. Another popular artist of the state, actor Barsha Rani Bishaya too said that she will not stop protesting against CAA.

Several top Congress leaders including Ajanta Neog are expected to join BJP in presence of Shah.

Shah will visit Imphal on December 27. He will lay foundation stones for various projects in Manipur.

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