The Bharatiya Janata Party has turned problems — created by the Congress in the northeast — into possibilities, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at an election rally in western Assam’s Nalbari on April 17.
Mr. Modi claimed that he and his party had embraced the region, while the Congress fanned the fires of separatism.
“Congress only gave problems to the northeast but the BJP made it a region of possibilities. Congress encouraged separatism, but I embraced the northeast,” he said, claiming that his government has tried to ensure peace and security, which the Congress failed to do over a span of 60 years.
From hope to guarantees
Mr. Modi said that Assam had started benefitting from the ‘sabka saath, sabka vikas (all together, development for all)‘ initiative after the Congress grip on the region was loosened. “Friends, Modi came to you in 2014 with hope. He came to you in 2019 carrying a belief, and he has come now to the soil of Assam with guarantees,” he said.
“There is no discrimination in the NDA [National Democratic Alliance] schemes. More than three crore houses will be built in the next five years and everyone will get it. You will keep getting free ration without any discrimination in the next five years,” he said.
Benefits for seniors, farmers
The Prime Minister underscored the BJP’s promise to offer Ayushman Bharat’s health coverage benefits available to all those above 70 years of age.
“We will make your power bill zero with low-cost solar panels which can charge the electric vehicles you may buy in the coming days. This will save your expenditure on fuel,” he said.
“Our goals include making three crore sisters Lakhpati Didis. Our government cares for the farmers of Assam. Lakhs of farmers here have benefitted after we increased the MSP [minimum support price] of the Kharif crops. We will continue the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, under which the farmers of the State got more than ₹5,400 crore,” he said.
Gamosa brand ambassador
The Prime Minister said that he was the brand ambassador of Assam’s distinctive gamosa (woven scarf-towel). “The Congress pokes fun at me when I wear Assam’s traditional attire because it does not care about the sentiments of the Assamese people,” he added.
Alluding to the BJP’s nationwide celebration of the legendary Ahom general Lachit Borphukan’s 400th birth anniversary, he said that the turnout at the rally indicated that the NDA would be “400 paar” on June ‘chaar’ (meaning that the ruling alliance will win more than 400 Lok Sabha seats on June 4, the day of vote counting).
Nalbari comes under the Barpeta parliamentary constituency, where the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) — an ally of the BJP — has fielded former Minister Phani Bhushan Choudhury.
