Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during a significant two-day visit to Assam, blended a narrative of historical legacy with contemporary political critique. The centerpiece of his first day was the inauguration of the new terminal building at Guwahati's Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport on Saturday afternoon.
A Tribute and a Political Contrast
The event began with PM Modi unveiling a statue of Assam's first chief minister, the Congress leader Gopinath Bordoloi, at the airport premises. In his address, Modi lauded Bordoloi for his pivotal role in history but used it to draw a stark contrast with the modern-day Congress party.
Modi recounted that Bordoloi had "stood against his own party" to oppose plans, ahead of Partition, to group Assam with East Bengal, which would have made it part of East Pakistan. He credited Bordoloi with saving Assam's identity and its place in India. "BJP is always rising above party lines and honours patriotism," Modi stated, noting that it was under former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee's BJP government that Bordoloi was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna.
He then swiftly turned his criticism to the Congress, accusing it of later conspiring against Assam's interests. "To increase its votebank, the Congress gave a free hand to infiltrators in Bengal and Assam. The demography here was changed. These infiltrators captured our jungles, captured our land," the Prime Minister alleged.
Development Pitch and Accusations on Infiltration
Modi framed the current BJP-led governments at the Centre and in the state as correctors of historical wrongs. He praised the Himanta Biswa Sarma government for "freeing Assam of illegal and anti-national encroachment." Sharpening his attack, he accused the Congress and its INDIA alliance partners of openly supporting infiltrators by opposing measures like the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
"Even the country's Supreme Court has talked about removing infiltrators but these people are making statements to save infiltrators. Their lawyers are making prayers in court to save infiltrators," Modi claimed, urging the people of Assam to remain vigilant to protect their land and identity.
Showcasing Infrastructure and Targeting Congress Neglect
Shifting to the theme of development, the Prime Minister highlighted the new airport terminal itself. Developed by Adani Airport Holdings Limited, the facility is expected to handle around 1.25 crore (12.5 million) passengers annually, significantly boosting connectivity.
He contrasted this with what he described as the Congress's neglect of the region. "Otherwise for Congress governments, Assam and the Northeast's progress was not even in their agenda. Congress governments used to say 'who even goes to Assam and the North East?'" Modi asserted. He claimed that in the last 11 years, developmental projects worth lakhs of crores have been initiated in the region under his government.
The inauguration event was attended by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Union Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, and Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani.
On the second day of his visit, Sunday, PM Modi is scheduled to perform the 'bhoomipoojan' for a new brownfield Ammonia-Urea Fertilizer Project at Namrup in Dibrugarh, within the premises of the Brahmaputra Valley Fertilizer Corporation Limited.
