GUWAHATI: Guwahati, the capital city in Assam, witnessed a massive roadshow by the BJP on Tuesday (April 16), led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Crowds gathered on both sides of the vital GS Road, eager to catch a glimpse of PM Narendra Modi during his visit to Guwahati, Assam.
Noteworthy is the fact that the BJP government in Assam, led by CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, granted permission for Modi’s roadshow in Guwahati.
This decision came as a surprise to many, considering the Assam government’s previous stance on traffic congestion.
In January this year, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had remarked that the state “cannot tolerate traffic congestion”, just days before Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra was scheduled to pass through Guwahati.
During that time, Sarma stated that while Congress members could bring Rahul Gandhi to Guwahati as part of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, he would apprehend them before the procession headed to Siliguri in West Bengal.
On January 23, nearly 5000 Congress workers, along with Rahul Gandhi, were stopped from entering Guwahati as part of the Assam leg of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.
Following this, clashes erupted between Congress workers and police personnel, leading to the dismantling of police barricades and subsequent baton charges by authorities.
However, on April 16, no such incidents were reported from any part of Guwahati.
The Modi roadshow in Guwahati proceeded smoothly, with roads blocked and thousands of BJP workers and supporters gathering along the GS Road.
This contrasted with the treatment received by Rahul Gandhi and Congress workers during the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra just three months prior, where Assam police employed brute force.
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s decision to allow Modi roadshow in Guwahati, despite his previous stance against political roadshows in the city citing “traffic congestions”, raised questions about the change in policy.