BJP correcting Congress’ decades-old mistakes in Assam: PM Modi

Alleging that the Congress had neglected Assam and the Northeast for decades, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday asserted that the BJP government was correcting the “mistakes” repeatedly made by the grand old party in the region. 

Addressing a public meeting after inaugurating the new terminal of the Lokapriya Gopinath Bardoloi International Airport in Guwahati, the Prime Minister said the development of Assam and the Northeast was never part of the Congress agenda.

Modi alleged that the Congress had given protection to infiltrators who grabbed forests and land, posing a serious threat to Assam’s security and identity. He said the BJP government was undoing the damage caused over decades and taking firm steps to safeguard the region. Referring to the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, the Prime Minister said the exercise was aimed at ensuring infiltrators were kept out of the electoral process, but claimed that “deshdrohis” were attempting to shield them. He reiterated that the Centre was taking strict measures to stop infiltration.

The Prime Minister, who arrived in Assam from West Bengal where he also addressed a rally, noted that elections were due in both states within the next six months. He recalled the period before Independence, alleging that when the British and the Muslim League were preparing the ground for Partition, a conspiracy was hatched to merge Assam with East Pakistan. Modi claimed that Congress was willing to be part of that plot, but Gopinath Bardoloi stood against his own party, resisted the move, and safeguarded Assam’s identity by ensuring it remained part of India.

Modi said the BJP rose above party politics to honour patriots, recalling that it was the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led government that conferred the Bharat Ratna on Gopinath Bardoloi. He asserted that under the BJP’s “double-engine government”, development in Assam was flowing uninterrupted, likening it to the mighty Brahmaputra river.

Expressing his personal connection with the state, the Prime Minister said Assam inspired him and gave him strength to work for the region’s progress. He described Assam and the entire Northeast as emerging gateways to India’s development, stressing that every state and region had a vital role to play in the mission of building a developed India. He said Assam’s development was not just a necessity but a responsibility and accountability for him, adding that development projects worth lakhs of crores of rupees had been initiated in Assam and the Northeast over the past 11 years.

Modi said India was working towards becoming a developed nation by 2047, with a strong focus on infrastructure, prioritising the underprivileged and ensuring balanced growth across states. He added that Assam and the Northeast were leading this mission, having received renewed importance under the Act East Policy, with Assam emerging as India’s eastern gateway.

Highlighting Assam’s strategic role, the Prime Minister said the state was acting as a bridge connecting India with ASEAN countries and would become an engine of growth for a developed India across multiple sectors. He concluded by saying that Assam’s development was possible because the government was committed to protecting the region’s identity, culture and heritage.