Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday criticized Rahul Gandhi’s party, the Indian National Congress, during a public address in Silchar, alleging that it was acting as a puppet of forces opposing India’s growth.
Speaking on the second day of his visit to Assam, Modi said that several global forces were unable to accept India’s rapid development and claimed the Congress was increasingly becoming a tool in their hands.
The Prime Minister also accused the Congress of neglecting the Barak Valley region for decades after independence. According to him, the area once played an important role in trade but lost its strength when post-independence borders cut off its direct access to the sea.
“The Congress party had left the North East to its own fate. When the country attained independence, the Congress permitted the drawing of the boundary in such a manner that the Barak Valley’s vital link to the sea was completely severed,” Modi said.
He added that the BJP’s “double-engine government” was now working to transform the region by improving infrastructure and connectivity. During the event, Modi inaugurated projects worth around ₹24,000 crore in Silchar, including the Shillong–Silchar high-speed corridor.
Taking a swipe at the opposition, he remarked that Congress leaders would struggle even to write down such a large amount. The 166-km corridor, built at an estimated cost of about ₹22,860 crore, is expected to significantly improve connectivity between Meghalaya and Assam.
Speaking at the event, Himanta Biswa Sarma said that with elections approaching in the state, the people of Assam would once again bring the Modi government to power.
The Prime Minister is also scheduled to hold a rally later in the day in West Bengal.