Assam To Get Rs 50,000 crore As Its Tax Share This Year: PM

Guwahati: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched a frontal attack on the Congress party, accusing it of resorting to divisive politics, corruption in defence deals, and neglecting the Northeast.

While addressing BJP workers here, Mr Modi said that while the Muslim League divided India during Independence, “today, Congress has become Muslim League–Maoist Congress and is in the process of dividing India."

Accusing that the Congress lacked the courage to take decisions and, at best, only made statements, he said that the grand old party always put the country at risk. “Congress never prioritised the nation's security. Because of the negativity of Congress governments, the entire Northeast lived in fear and insecurity. Congress always kept the country at risk. During Congress's tenure, whenever weapons were purchased for the military, it meant a scam worth thousands of crores,” he said.

Mr Modi further said, “Today, the country is strengthening its armed forces. India is building magnificent highways, magnificent tunnels, high-rise bridges, and modern airfields on its borders. It is enhancing the nation's security, and that is why Congress is bewildered. They are wondering how Modi manages to do all this.”

He also said, “Congress wants to unsettle Assam once again. Congress wants to return it to infiltrators once again. Be it its top leadership in Delhi or leaders here, they all are trying to save infiltrators. They want to change the original identity of Assam.”

Pointing out that BJP looks northeast as “Goddess Ashtalakshmi", Mr Modi while highlighting the Union Budget allocations, said that Assam would receive Rs 50,000 crore as its tax share this year. “The budget focuses heavily on making the northeast economically self-reliant. This year, Assam will receive approximately Rs 50,000 crore as its tax share… We should remember well how Assam was left starving during the Congress government. During the Congress regime, Assam received only Rs 10,000 crore as its tax share. Now, under the BJP government, Assam is receiving 5 times more money than it did under the Congress government,” he said.

He pointed out that over the past 11 years, Assam has received more than Rs 5.5 lakh crore from the Centre for various development projects. The Prime Minister said that the latest budget focuses heavily on improving connectivity and economic self-reliance in the Northeast, which he described as “Goddess Ashtalakshmi."

Thousands of crores have been allocated for highways and road projects in Assam, he said, adding that improved connectivity would boost employment and tourism.

Asking party workers to intensify efforts for the forthcoming assembly polls in Assam, Mr Modi said that the greatest pride and honour of his life is being a karyakarta of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

He said that whatever heights the BJP has achieved are due to the dedication and hard work of its workers. “I say with pride that the greatest qualification of my life, my biggest honour, is that Narendra Modi is a karyakarta of the BJP. As a BJP worker, I bow my head to the strength of our karyakartas and the organisation in Assam. I also offer my salutations to Maa Adi Shakti and Maa Kamakhya,” he said.

Describing party workers as the life force of the BJP, Mr Modi said that it is their commitment that takes the organisation forward. “Our faith lies in the organisation. We are united by one mantra — Bharat Mata Ki Jai,” he added.

He also referred to the 2019 Pulwama terror attack and paid tributes to the security personnel who lost their lives. While emphasising on Operation Sindoor, India’s response to the Pahalgam terror attack, he said that India has since demonstrated its resolve in responding to terror threats.

“You have seen recently in Operation Sindoor," he said, referring to India’s security response, adding that such action would not have been possible under a Congress government.

“Today is Pulwama anniversary. I pay my respect to the deceased. India has since shown how to respond. You have seen recently in Op Sindoor. But could you expect it from the Congress which refuses to acknowledge India as a nation?" he said.

Earlier Mr Modi inaugurated and flagged off several development projects worth more than 5,450 crore rupees in Assam. In Guwahati, he inaugurated the Kumar Bhaskar Varma Setu across River Brahmaputra connecting Guwahati and North Guwahati built at a cost of 3,000 crore rupees.

He virtually inaugurated the temporary campus of IIM Guwahati and the National Data Centre for North Eastern Region at Amingaon in Kamrup district.

The Prime Minister also flagged off 225 electric buses under the PM-eBus Sewa Scheme for four cities of India. 100 buses for Guwahati, 50 each for Nagpur and Bhavnagar and 25 buses for Chandigarh.