‘Coming years will make Assam recognised all over world’: Modi at poll rally

GUWAHATI: ground government minister Narendra Modi on mon said that the Bharatiya Janata company (BJP) is focussed on bringing successfulness, self-reliance and global recognition to Assam in the coming years. He further compared the BJP’s performance over the last 10 years to the previous Congress rule, targeting the opposition party over MSP, illegal immigration, the condition of tribals and insurgency in the poll-bound state.Voting for all the 126 assembly seats in the state will be held on April 9 and counting will be on May 4. Addressing an election rally at Barpeta, the Prime Minister said, “The past 10 years of BJP rule in Assam were to bring peace and harmony, take the state out of difficulties and insecurity and safeguard the state’s identity. The coming years will bring more prosperity, self-reliance and make the state recognised all over the world.”The PM said during the Congress rule, the minimum support price (MSP) of rice was ₹1,300 per quintal, but during BJP rule it has increased to ₹2,370. He said during Congress rule at Centre from 2004 to 2014, farmers across India got a total of ₹4 lakh crore as MSP, that figure has increased to ₹16 lakh crore between 2014 and 2024.“Congress used to give the dues meant for farmers to middlemen, but our government transfers the same directly to their bank accounts. Through the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, farmers in Assam have received more than ₹7,500 crore to date. When rates of urea reached ₹3,000 per sack across the globe, we still provided it to our farmers at a subsidised rate of ₹300,” he said.PM Modi alleged that the Congress did not treat the tribal people in the country well.“Congress committed the maximum injustice against tribals in the country. Areas where tribals reside used to be the poorest in the country and ravaged by bombs and violence... Our government has focussed on prosperity and permanent peace in tribal areas,” he added. He mentioned how peace deals signed with rebel groups in the past 10-12 years have brought back peace in most parts of the state. “Peace and prosperity have come to Assam after many decades and therefore it is crucial to keep Congress away (from the state),” he said.Modi accused Congress of promoting the enemy’s agenda during surgical strikes and air-strikes. “During Operation Sindoor, our defence forces brought Pakistan to its knees within hours, but Congress sang the song written and composed by Pakistan,” he said.The PM accused Congress of encouraging illegal immigrants to enter Assam and helping them to settle in the state. He mentioned about the present BJP government’s campaign to evict such encroachers and give land rights to indigenous people and those from the tea-tribe community.“You need to be very careful as Congress is openly supporting these illegal immigrants. The party wants to bring in a legislation where even calling someone an infiltrator will land you in prison,” he said.In his second election meeting at Hojai, the PM accused the Congress of making false promises and indulging in corruption while alluding to the Gandhis in Delhi and the Gogois in Assam (state Congress president, Gaurav Gogoi, son of former CM, Tarun Gogoi). “Their slogan is ‘family first’. Such people can never do anything good for the nation or Assam. They focus on two things, telling lies and indulging in large-scale corruption...,” he said.Meanwhile, Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge accused the BJP-led governments at the Centre and in Assam of favouring corporate houses. “The BJP government uses bulldozers to clear alleged encroachments targeting one section of people, while large tracts of land are being given to corporates. This shows their real face,” he said at an election meeting in Assam’s Cachar.