Eagerly looking forward to receiving PM Modi on Feb 7: Assam CM

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Wednesday reviewed preparations in Kokrajhar ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to participate in the celebrations of the signing of the Bodo agreement.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi has always been taking very positive initiatives for the speedy growth of Assam and North-East. He respects North-East and he wants speedy growth in North-East. That is why to restore peace and tranquility within the state of Assam and entire North-East, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah are taking exemplary initiatives, this Bodo Peace Accord is one of them," Sonowal told media here.

"That is why we are proud of this particular Accord and also we are very eagerly looking forward to receiving Prime Minister Modi on February 7," he added.

Assam DGP Bhaskar Jyoti said that the state police is "confident and totally prepared" ahead of the Prime Minister's visit.

The visit comes days after the state government signed a tripartite agreement with representatives of all factions of the banned National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in New Delhi on January 27.

It will be the first visit of Prime Minister Modi since the state witnessed anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests.

Over four lakh people from the Bodoland Territorial Area District (BTAD) districts and all over Assam are expected to attend the programme, a government release said.

The Bodo groups have been demanding a separate state of Bodoland for the last 50 years. The movement has resulted in extensive violence and loss of hundreds of lives over the years. The Assam government will organise a cultural programme of ethnic groups of the state to showcase the diversity of the region.

The Prime Minister will also address the gathering to hail the historic Bodo Agreement signed in January this year, by including the leading stakeholders under one framework.

He had said that the agreement is inspired by the mantra of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, and Sabka Vishwas' and the spirit of 'Ek Bharat, Shresth Bharat'.