Cong neglected Assam, kept N-E in fear: Modi

On a day-long visit to election-bound Assam, Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the Congress of seeking to plunge the state back into instability and hand it over to infiltrators.

Pledging accelerated development in the north-east if re-elected, BJP seeks a record third term in Assam this year, Modi said Congress kept the state mired in violence, blockades and unrest for decades.

“The BJP-NDA government has restored peace, with groups including Bodo, Karbi, Adivasi, Dimasa National Liberation Army and ULFA choosing the path of the Constitution over violence. Congress, frustrated after a decade out of power, wants to reverse this and hand Assam to infiltrators. People must stay vigilant to protect the state’s identity,” Modi said, flanked by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Union Minister Sarbanand Sonowal.

Speaking of his landing on a highway strip aboard the IAF's C 130 J today, PM said the new emergency landing strip in Moran symbolises a New India that is fully prepared to defend itself.

Paying tributes to soldiers on the anniversary of the Pulwama attack, PM said the world has seen how India responds firmly to terrorism.

"The Congress never prioritised national security and kept the northeast in fear," he said.

Contrasting records, Modi noted that Congress built just three bridges over the Brahmaputra in 70 years, while BJP-NDA completed five major ones in 11 years, with more under construction to boost growth.

The Congress gave Assam problems while BJP delivered solutions. Several more bridges are under construction, which will accelerate growth across Assam and the northeast," the PM said.

At a Guwahati rally, Modi said the recent Union Budget reinforces BJP-NDA’s northeast vision, dubbing the region “Ashtalakshmi”—long neglected by Congress but now prioritised.