Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday accused the Congress of disrespecting Assam’s culture and heritage, asserting that the party had “opened the doors for infiltrators” in its pursuit of power.
The Prime Minister arrived in the city with a massive roadshow, greeting large crowds along the route before attending a grand Bodo folk dance performance, ‘Bagurumba Dwhou’, by over 10,000 artistes at the Arjun Bhogeswar Baruah Stadium.
Speaking at the event, Modi said, “When we show respect to Assam and its culture, some people don't like it. You all know which party doesn't like showing respect; it is the Congress party.” He alleged that the Congress had opposed conferring the Bharat Ratna on musical maestro Bhupen Hazarika and cited protests by a Karnataka minister, son of the Congress national president, against a semiconductor unit in Assam. “When I put on something associated with Assam, like the ‘gamosa’ (traditional towel/scarf), they make fun of it,” he added.
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Modi also blamed the Congress for keeping Assam and Bodoland disconnected from the mainstream and holding it responsible for past violence. “Challenges were there in front of Assam. But, instead of finding solutions, Congress focused on grabbing power. Where trust was needed, they brought division. Where discussion was needed, they ignored the issues and closed doors for dialogue.”
Highlighting the work of the BJP government under Himanta Biswa Sarma, Modi said it was “cleansing the sins of the Congress” and reclaiming encroached land. He detailed initiatives improving connectivity across the state, including links to Bhutan through Kokrajhar, and hailed the Bodo Peace Accord of 2020 for restoring lasting peace and enabling youth to return to mainstream development.
Affirming his respect for Assam’s culture, Modi said, “My wish is that Assam's culture should always get the right platform and recognised worldwide. We have already made attempts for such recognition for ‘Bihu’ and ‘Jhumoir', and with the Bodoland Mahotsav in New Delhi.”
He added emotionally, “How the state has moved from bloodshed to cultural performances; sounds of gunshots have been replaced by that of ‘kham’ and ‘sifung’ (traditional Bodo musical instruments), the silence of curfew replaced by music.”
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