STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI, Jan 10: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday made a strong political assertion on the religious identity of India’s leadership, stating that while the Constitution places no restriction on who can become Prime Minister, the country’s civilisational ethos would ensure that the post remains with a Hindu.
Addressing the media, Sarma said there is “no constitutional bar” on anyone occupying the highest executive office in the country.
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“Anybody can become the Prime Minister of India,” he said, adding that India is fundamentally a Hindu civilisation and expressing confidence that the nation’s leadership would always emerge from that civilisational framework.
The chief minister’s remarks echoed the ideological position frequently articulated by leaders of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, which views India as a civilisation state rooted in its ancient cultural and religious traditions rather than merely a modern political entity.
Meanwhile, Sarma said a high-level review meeting was held to assess preparations for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s proposed visit to Kaliabor in Assam on January 18.
Senior officials reviewed logistical and security arrangements for the public programme scheduled during the visit.
During the visit, the Prime Minister is slated to lay the foundation stone of the Kaziranga Elevated Corridor, a major infrastructure project estimated to cost Rs 6,957 crore.
The project will be implemented by the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
Officials said an audio-visual presentation highlighting the project’s key features will follow the foundation stone-laying ceremony.
The Kaziranga Elevated Corridor is part of the four-laning of the Kaliabor–Numaligarh stretch of NH-37 (new NH-715).
It includes about 34.45 km of elevated, wildlife-friendly corridors, along with bypasses at Jakhalabandha and Bokakhat.
Designed in accordance with court directions and recommendations of the Wildlife Institute of India, the project aims to improve connectivity between Central and Upper Assam while safeguarding the biodiversity of Kaziranga National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The corridor is scheduled for completion within 36 months.
The programme will also include the virtual flagging off of two new Amrit Bharat Express trains — from Dibrugarh to Gomti Nagar (Lucknow) and from Kamakhya to Rohtak — further enhancing rail connectivity between Assam and northern India.
