BJP govt correcting 'mistakes' Congress kept making in Northeast for decades: PM

Guwahati, Dec 20 (PTI) Alleging that the Congress has neglected Assam and the Northeast for decades, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday asserted the BJP government was correcting "mistakes" the grand old party kept making in the region.

Addressing a public meeting after inaugurating the new terminal of the Guwahati airport, Modi alleged that the development of Assam and the Northeast was never part of the Congress's agenda.

"The Congress gave protection to infiltrators who grabbed forests and land, threatening the security and identity of Assam... The BJP government has been correcting mistakes the Congress kept making for decades in the Northeast," he claimed.

The PM reached Assam from West Bengal, where he addressed a rally. Elections would be due in both states in less than six months.

Modi said the Election Commission started the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls to ensure infiltrators are kept out of the poll process, "but 'deshdrohis' (traitors) were trying to protect them" "The Centre is taking strict steps to stop infiltration," he said.

Modi said that prior to Independence, when the Muslim League and the British were preparing the ground for India's Partition, a conspiracy was hatched to make Assam a part of East Pakistan.

"Congress was going to be part of this conspiracy. It was Gopinath Bardoloi who stood against his own party, opposed this plot to destroy Assam’s identity, and saved Assam from being separated from the country," he claimed.

The PM said the BJP rises above party lines to honour every patriot, and the Vajpayee government conferred Bardoloi with Bharat Ratna.

Modi said development under the BJP's "double-engine government" was flowing unabated in Assam, just like the flow of the mighty Brahmaputra river.

"My attachment to the land of Assam inspires me, gives me strength for the development of the region. Assam and the entire Northeast are becoming the gateway to India's development. Every state, each region of the country has an important role to play in the mission of a developed India," he said.

"The development of Assam is not only a necessity but also a responsibility and an accountability for me. In the past 11 years, development projects worth lakhs of crores of rupees have been initiated in Assam and the Northeast," he added.

The PM said India was preparing to build a developed India by 2047, focusing on infrastructure to fulfil the resolve of a developed nation by prioritising the underprivileged and by ensuring that every state progresses together.

"Assam and the Northeast are leading this mission. The region has got priority through the Act East Policy with Assam emerging as India's eastern gateway," he said.

Modi said Assam is playing the role of a bridge, connecting India with ASEAN countries, and the state will become an engine of developed India in many sectors.

The PM said that Assam's development could be achieved because the government is safeguarding the identity and culture of the region. PTI DG SOM