Guwahati, Dec 26 (UNI) Highlighting peace is the way forward, Union Home Minister Amit Shah here on Saturday said reviving Bhakti movement will bring about much needed social transformation so that young people do not take up arms.

"There used to be a time when separatists ruled the roost. The youth were given arms. Now all the groups have joined the mainstream and Assam has become part of the growth engine. The biggest success was the Bodoland accords. I am proud that in the recent Bodoland election, 80 per cent polling took place without a single case of bloodshed," Mr Shah said at a public rally in Amingaon, Kamrup district.

The Bhakti Movement took place in medieval India (15th Century) for "One God" practice. At that time a great reformer of Northeast India, Srimanta Sankardeva, who made his effort to unite all with Ek Saran Naam Dharma.

Delving deep, Mr Shah said, "The Bodoland election...was only a semi-final. Now the final is ahead. In the Assam polls, we will have a full majority. The Sonowal-Himanta combination has worked wonders for Assam," he said, referring to the state legislative polls scheduled for April 2021.

Mr Shah recalled the contribution of 16th-century Assamese cultural icon Srimanta Sankaradeva and urged people to imbibe his ideals.

Taking a potshot at Congress, Mr Shah said, "Manmohan Singh was an MP from Assam for 18 years, but could not solve the problem of eight thousand rupees oil royalty that Assam was supposed to get...we solved it."

Mr Shah is on a three day visit to Assam to oversee the election preparedness and to flag off the BJP's election campaign for the 2021 state assembly polls.

UNI ABI PS1902