Assam Polls: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Appeals To Vote For BJP

Guwahati: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who on Tuesday joined the election campaign in Assam, criticised the Congress Party for neglecting Assam, accusing it of subjecting the state to “step-motherly treatment.”

Addressing an election rally for NDA candidate and Asom Gana Parishad leader Prithviraj Rabha in Tezpur its r, Mr Singh expressed confidence in the BJP-led alliance’s victory in the upcoming state assembly elections.

Lauding the state for its cultural and natural richness, Mr Singh said, “The land of Assam is rich in both culture and nature. The aroma of Assam’s tea can be found not just in India, but worldwide. This is the land of courage and Mahanayak Lachit Borphukan. The bravehearts of Assam have sacrificed everything for the nation. Seeing your spirit, I am confident that no power can stop the formation of a BJP government here.”

Asserting that BJP was committed to protect its culture and identity, Mr Singh said, “The BJP has resolved that Assam’s culture and identity must remain secure. And that is why the double-engine government under the leadership of Himanta Biswa Sarma is working here. Assam has now acquired a distinct identity within India.”

Targeting the Congress party, he alleged that Congress subjected the state to step-motherly treatment and neglected the region.

Pointing out that during Congress regime discourse of the state revolved round insurgency, poverty, and unrest, Mr Singh said, “Now the time has changed and BJP has changed the discourse. Today, no one across the entire world speaks of starvation or extremism anymore. Now, the discourse here revolves around development, something that has been made possible thanks to the BJP.”

Referring that villages along the border were once referred to as the ‘last villages’ in Congress regime, he said, “We have bestowed upon them the title of the ‘first villages’ of the nation. PM Modi has visited the northeast at least 30 times in the last 12 years. But during the Congress tenure, the PM hardly had time to take note of the region.”