Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday strongly criticized the Congress party, accusing it of spreading “propaganda” even amid a “war-borne crisis” in the context of the ongoing conflict in West Asia. Speaking at an event in Guwahati, where he inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of development projects worth about Rs 19,480 crore, the Prime Minister compared the actions of the BJP-led government with those of the Congress.
On one hand, the BJP-NDA government is working for the farmers and making the country self-reliant, while today the Congress has once again proved that it is not loyal to the country under any circumstances. Prime Minister Modi said, “Even amidst the crisis arising out of the war, the Congress is only engaged in spreading rumors and propaganda.”
Prime Minister Modi further said, “And I want to say one thing to my Congress colleagues: Listen to the speech that Pandit Nehru ji gave from the Red Fort on 15th August. You will be surprised. On 15th August, Pandit ji had said from the Red Fort that inflation is rising in India due to the war between North Korea and South Korea. Now, where are North Korea and South Korea, and where was Nehru talking about the rising inflation there? And today, Congress members will tell the country Engaged in misleading. The world is seeing the impact of global crises.”
The Prime Minister also extended his good wishes to the people of Guwahati, farmers from across the country and tea garden workers. Expressing his gratitude for being present at the holy land of Maa Kamakhya on the eve of Navratri, he said, “It is a privilege for me to have the privilege of having your darshan at this holy land of Maa Kamakhya just before the beginning of Navratri.”
Prime Minister Modi said, “This is an important day for the farmers of the country and also for the tea garden workers of Assam.” He informed the House that under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana, an amount of more than Rs 18,000 crore has been transferred directly into the accounts of crores of farmers across the country and land pattas have been distributed to the families associated with the tea gardens of Assam.
He further said, “I heartily congratulate the people of Assam, all the families here and the farmers across the country.” Prime Minister Modi emphasized that farmers across India are associated with the Maa Kamakhya programme. He said, “These are the same farmer brothers and sisters, most of whom neither had a mobile phone nor a bank account before 2014.” He further said that till now more than Rs 42 lakh crore has been deposited in the accounts of farmers.
Notably, around 19 lakh farmers in Assam have received around Rs 8,000 crore so far. He stressed, “This is something that even the developed countries of the world cannot match. With one click, money reaches crores of farmers directly.”
Due to bad weather, Prime Minister Modi laid the foundation stone of development works in Kokrajhar through video conferencing. He expressed regret for not being able to be present in person and acknowledged the contributions of personalities like Bodofa Upendranath Brahma and Roopnath Brahma. He said, “It has always been my endeavor to repay this debt by serving you and developing this area.”
Highlighting the rich cultural heritage of Assam, Prime Minister Modi recalled experiencing the vibrant Bodo culture at the Bagurumba Dahau festival. He said the Bodo community deserves immense praise for preserving its language, heritage and traditions, and also said that spiritual practices like Bathu and festivals like Baisagu “strengthen the cultural strength of India.”
The Prime Minister said the two-engine government is committed to ensuring rapid development while preserving the heritage of Assam. Projects worth over Rs 4,500 crore were inaugurated or launched, of which over Rs 1,100 crore has been specifically allocated for improving the road network of Bodoland. Prime Minister Modi said that the third phase of the Assam Mala campaign will increase connectivity across the state. “Through these initiatives, road connectivity of Assam will be further strengthened,” he confirmed.
Prime Minister Modi flagged off Kamakhya-Charlapalli Amrit Bharat Express and Guwahati-New Jalpaiguri Express to boost regional transport. He said that these transport projects will provide essential facilities, encourage trade and empower farmers by providing them better access to larger markets. “These projects will ensure that farmers’ produce easily reaches major markets,” he said. (