Modi to skip Khelo India inauguration in Guwahati amid raging CAA protests

Modi to skip Khelo India inauguration in Guwahati amid raging CAA protests

Guwahati: Prime Minister Narendra Modi to skip the inauguration of the 3rd Khelo India Youth Games 2020 to be held in Guwahati on January 10 due to "lack of time", a senior BJP leader said on Wednesday.

"It (the visit) is cancelled," Assam BJP spokesman Dewan Dhruba Jyoti Maral told IANS.

Maral said the state government had approached the Prime Minister, but the visit did not happen as Modi could not find time.

"The state government approached him. But he cannot give time," he said.

State Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, however, said the state government had not received any programme of the Prime Minister at the first place.

"We had not received any programme of PM. So without confirmation at the first place how can there be cancellation?" Sarma told IANS.

The news of the Prime Minister not coming to Guwahati for the Games comes amidst the ongoing protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act.

The All Assam Students Union (AASU), which is spearheading the protests against the new citizenship law, had warned of mass protests if Modi came here for the Games.

There is speculation in the media whether Modi would come to Guwahati to inaugurate the Youth Games and had cancelled his visit due to the protests.

Meanwhile, many of the expected 11,000 participants of the Khelo India Youth Games from across the country have started arriving here, officials said.

The Games will continue till January 22.  

(With IANS and PTI inputs)

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