PM Modi urges voters to punish Congress in Assam
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that sounds of bombs and gunfire were a thing of the past in the Northeast, and asserted that the BJP ensured long-lasting peace in the region while the Congress, during its tenure, signed various accords for “selfish political interests”.
Addressing a public meeting in Assam’s Kokrajhar district virtually from Guwahati, the PM said Assam was writing a new chapter of peace and development under the “double-engine” Government. PM Modi alleged that the Congress endangered national security by handing over the land of indigenous people to infiltrators. “Punish the Congress in the upcoming elections and send a clear message that there is no place for infiltrators in this country,” he asked the people. The election to the 126-member Assam Assembly is likely to be held in April.
“I am happy that Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is leading a big drive to clear land from encroachment, and the BJP Government has handed rights to the indigenous people,’’ the PM said.
PM Modi said that Kokrajhar was betrayed by the Congress for decades. ‘’The Congress signed peace accords just for show and for selfish interests, but the BJP worked for permanent peace, and ensured the development of Bodoland,’’ he said.
‘’The people have suffered and lost a lot over the years....we have seen those difficult days, but now the beats of the ‘kham’ (drum) and ‘siphoong’ (flutes) are heard,’’ he said. Only when the people removed the Congress from both the state and the Centre, “we were able to begin the region’s development honestly and sincerely”, Modi said.
‘’In today’s programme itself, projects worth more than Rs 4,750 crore have been launched with over Rs 1100 crore to be spent on the development of road infrastructure in Bodoland, which will further strengthen road connectivity in the State,’’ he said. Trains have also been flagged off, which will not only be convenient for the people but also promote trade and tourism, the PM said, adding that a railway workshop will be set up here and help the region to be a major logistics hub. Work on railway connectivity with Bhutan is also progressing along with the modernisation of several stations, he said.
