Affront to Northeast’s aspirations’: Sonowal hits back at Gaurav Gogoi over PM Modi remarks

Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Wednesday strongly condemned Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi for his recent remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi, describing them as politically motivated and an affront to the pride and aspirations of the people of the Northeast.

Sonowal highlighted that under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, the Northeast has experienced unprecedented respect, recognition, and rapid development, something the region had not witnessed since Independence. “No other Prime Minister has integrated the Northeast so decisively into the national mainstream, without ever diluting our unique identity,” Sonowal wrote on the social media platform X.

The controversy arose after Gogoi, Member of Parliament from Jorhat, at a press conference, alleged that Modi made a derogatory comment about the physical features of Chinese people, particularly referencing the shape and size of their eyes. Gogoi added that young men and women from the Northeast often face teasing and harassment across other parts of India for similar physical traits, and expressed that Modi should be more sensitive, given the trauma such remarks can cause to the region’s youth.

Reacting sharply, Sonowal accused Gogoi of making “outrageous and deeply disrespectful” statements about both the Prime Minister and the Northeast. “His words are not just politically motivated, they are an affront to the pride and aspirations of the people of this region,” the union minister said.

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Sonowal further pointed to the visible and irreversible progress in the Northeast under Modi’s tenure—from historic peace accords to transformative infrastructure projects. “It is Modi ji's deep affection for the Northeast that is turning our region into India's Gateway to Southeast Asia and the new engine of national growth,” Sonowal asserted.

He also reminded Gogoi that the Assamese 'gamosa', a traditional handwoven cloth which Gogoi reportedly wears with pride, has been elevated to a global cultural symbol through Modi’s efforts to honour and promote Assam’s heritage on national and international stages.

Sonowal accused the Congress party of keeping the Northeast in “deliberate neglect and isolation” for over six decades and lamented that Gogoi’s comments reveal the party’s “true face” once again. He demanded an unconditional apology from Gogoi to the people of the Northeast.

The remarks have sparked a fresh wave of political debate over the representation and dignity of the Northeast’s people at the national level, highlighting the region’s sensitive place in India’s broader social and political fabric.