Speaking at the inauguration of the ₹227-crore redeveloped Batadrava Than—the birthplace of 15th-century Vaishnavite saint Srimanta Shankardev—Shah praised Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for freeing over one lakh bighas of land from alleged Bangladeshi encroachers. "We will drive out infiltrators from the entire country in the same way," Shah said, accusing opposition parties of treating them as vote banks.
He invoked Bordoloi, Assam's first chief minister: "Without Gopinath Bordoloi, Assam and the Northeast would not have been part of India. It was he who forced Jawaharlal Nehru to keep Assam in India." Shah highlighted peace accords with insurgent groups, with 92 percent implementation, and new security measures in Guwahati.
The project transforms the site into a cultural tourism hub, featuring a towering Guru Asana and facilities inspired by Assamese traditions. Shah urged renewed BJP support to complete the task, contrasting it with past governments. The event underscores BJP's focus on cultural preservation and border security ahead of elections.
