Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday launched a scathing attack on the Congress party, accusing it of having an “inherent habit” of abandoning development work that poses challenges. This tendency, he argued, has severely impacted the Northeast, particularly Arunachal Pradesh.
Addressing a rally at the Indira Gandhi Park in Itanagar, where he unveiled development projects worth over Rs 5,100 crore, Modi emphasized the importance of direct engagement with the region. He stated, “The Northeast cannot be developed from Delhi. I have made it a point to send ministers and officers to this region more frequently, and I have visited over 70 times myself.”
“One inherent habit of Congress is that they never take up development work which is difficult to do; they abandon it,” Modi claimed, adding that such negligence has led to significant harm to Arunachal Pradesh and the broader Northeast. He criticized Congress for declaring challenging areas as backward and ignoring the need for development.
Modi assured the residents of the region that his government prioritizes development in all states, regardless of their political representation. He said, “When I was given the opportunity to serve the nation in 2014, I resolved to free the country from the mindset of Congress. Our guiding principle is not the number of votes or seats in any state, but ‘nation first’.”
During the rally, Modi also announced the implementation of next-generation GST reforms, coinciding with the launch of a “Bachat Utsav” during the festive season. He described the changes as a double benefit for the people, saying, “Today, the people will experience a double bonanza this festive season thanks to our efforts.”
He further noted, “The GST reforms will reduce kitchen budgets, helping women.” Modi slammed the previous Congress-led administration for increasing taxes while ignoring the plight of the people as living costs surged.
“Congress imposed a heavy tax burden on the populace, but our government has worked progressively to reduce taxes and offer relief,” he added. He drew attention to how border villages were neglected under Congress rule, resulting in population migration away from these regions.
“Congress has overlooked Arunachal Pradesh simply because it has only two Lok Sabha seats. In contrast, our government views all regions as pivotal to national growth,” Modi emphasized.
According to Modi, since his government took office, Arunachal Pradesh has received significant investments, revealing that, “Arunachal got Rs 1 lakh crore from the Centre in the last 10 years, which is 16 times more than what it received during Congress rule.”
This bold claim places a spotlight on the differences between the developmental approaches of the incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition Congress party. Modi’s statements resonate with his broader narrative of prioritizing underdeveloped regions and assertively projecting a vision of growth that values all citizens equally.
As election campaigns gear up across India, Modi’s remarks underscore the ongoing debate about governance, development, and accountability in the context of regional disparities and national policy-making.
