PM Modi Slams Congress Over Northeast Neglect, Flags Security Risks
PM links decades of underdevelopment to infiltration, defends voter roll revision in Assam
- PM Modi accuses Congress of neglecting Northeast development and national security
- Says Assam suffered infiltration due to vote-bank politics under past regimes
- Defends Election Commission’s SIR as a constitutional exercise
- Inaugurates new Guwahati airport terminal to boost connectivity and growth
GG News Bureau
Guwahati, 20th Dec: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday mounted a strong attack on the Congress, accusing the party of neglecting the Northeast for decades and warning that the failure had serious national security implications.
Addressing a gathering after inaugurating the new terminal building at Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, the Prime Minister said the region had long suffered due to policy paralysis and lack of political will under Congress-led governments. He alleged that in Assam, weak governance had allowed large-scale illegal infiltration, creating demographic and security challenges that persist even today.
PM Modi said successive Congress regimes prioritised vote-bank politics over border security and the interests of indigenous communities. He asserted that the BJP-led government is now working with full commitment to make Assam infiltration-free through lawful and transparent measures, but claimed that Congress and its allies were attempting to obstruct these efforts by defending infiltrators.
Defending the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, the Prime Minister described it as a constitutional exercise aimed at ensuring free and fair elections. He said Congress’ unease with the process was evident as illegal infiltrators were being identified and removed from voter lists, stressing that democracy and national security cannot be compromised for political convenience.
Earlier in the day, PM Modi inaugurated the new terminal building at Guwahati airport in the presence of Union Civil Aviation Minister K. Ram Mohan Naidu, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
Designed to handle an annual passenger capacity of 13.1 million, the state-of-the-art terminal is expected to significantly enhance air connectivity in the Northeast. The Prime Minister said the facility would boost infrastructure, tourism, trade and investment, while further integrating the region with the rest of the country under the Centre’s regional connectivity push.
