Modi: Congress Backs Infiltrators

Guwahati: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday laid the foundation stones for multiple projects worth Rs 18,530 crore in Assam’s Mangaldai and Numaligarh and accused the Congress of protecting illegal immigrants and enabling encroachers to grab the land of locals, threatening the demography of the state.

Asserting that his government has decided to free the nation from encroachers, Modi, while addressing his first public rally at Mangaldoi in Darrang, praised Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for evicting infiltrators from encroached lands. He dared the Opposition Congress to defend the encroachers.

“We are not going to let encroachers grab lands of tribes and change the demography of the nation,” said the Prime Minister amid the thundering applause of the crowd, which chanted "Modi…Modi".

The Prime Minister, who laid foundation stones for health and infrastructure projects worth Rs 6,300 crores in Assam’s Darrang district, including a medical college, nursing facilities, a bridge and a 118.5 km ring road, also invoked the 1962 Chinese aggression to target first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, alleging that Assam “is yet to heal” from the wounds inflicted during the war. He accused the Congress of betraying the state during the conflict.

“Wounds inflicted by Jawaharlal Nehru during Chinese aggression of 1962 on people of Assam are yet to heal,” said Modi.

Modi regretted that the Opposition historically sided with anti-national elements and promoted infiltration, while the current government led by Sarma has reclaimed lands previously occupied by infiltrators.

Highlighting the Gorukhuti Agricultural Project on the land freed from encroachers, Modi noted that recovered lands are now being cultivated by local youth as “Krishi Sainiks” growing crops like mustard, maize, sesame and pumpkin. He announced the launch of a nationwide Demography Mission to safeguard the nation’s borders and resources.

Modi also expressed distress over the Congress’s comments on Bharat Ratna Bhupen Hazarika, emphasising that the nation holds the legendary singer in the highest regard. Referring to a remark of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge allegedly mocking the decision to honour Bhupen Hazarika with the Bharat Ratna, Modi said, “Mujhe kitne hi gaaliya de, main bhagwan Shiv ka bhakt hoon… but when someone else is insulted, I cannot tolerate that. Is my decision to honour Bhupen Da with Bharat Ratna right or wrong? Was the Congress’ insult right or wrong?”

Stating that this was his first visit to Assam since “Operation Sindoor”, the Prime Minister, who hailed it as a huge success, dedicated it to Maa Kamakhya and Lord Krishna. “Yesterday was my first visit to Assam after Operation Sindoor. With the blessings of Maa Kamakhya, the operation succeeded. Today, I am experiencing a divine connection by being on this sacred land,” he said.

Linking his address to the Janmashtami celebrations in Darrang, Modi recalled his Independence Day speech in which he invoked Lord Krishna’s Sudarshan Chakra as an inspiration for India’s future security architecture. “From the Red Fort, I remembered Chakradhari Mohan. Today, on this holy occasion, I reaffirm our vision of the Sudarshan Chakra for national security,” he said.

The Prime Minister also lauded Assam’s economic progress, stating, “India is currently the fastest-growing country in the world, and Assam stands out as one of its fastest-growing states. Once struggling to keep pace with development, Assam has transformed significantly and is now making remarkable progress, boasting a growth rate of 13 per cent. This impressive achievement is a testament to the resilience and dedication of its people and the contributions of the BJP’s double-engine government. This is the reason why Himanta Biswa Sarma Ji and his team are getting huge support from the people of Assam.”

In what is going to boost the industrial scenario of the state further, the Prime Minister inaugurated a Rs 5,000 crores bamboo-based ethanol plant at Numaligarh in Assam's Golaghat district. He also laid the foundation stone for the `7,230 crores Petro Fluidised Catalytic Cracker Unit at the Numaligarh Refinery.

The "world's first second-generation" bioethanol plant is a zero-waste facility, which will utilise all parts of the bamboo plant, and is expected to give a `200 crores boost to the rural economy in the state.

The Prime Minister, while addressing the second public rally at Numaligarh, said that it will source 5-lakh tonnes of green bamboo from four northeastern states, benefitting over 50,000 people directly and indirectly.

The polypropylene plant, the foundation for which was laid by Modi, is an important milestone in manufacturing plastic with a wide range of applications, the officials said. The plant has the potential to generate 75,000 man-days annually.