Guwahati, Dec 21 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday launched a sharp attack on the Congress party after inaugurating the fertiliser unit in Assam’s Namrup.

Addressing a public meeting here, PM Modi came down heavily on the opposition, alleging that the Congress party has always opposed the development of Assam and the Northeast.

“Congress insulted Assam’s icon Bhupen Hazarika when the music maestro was conferred Bharat Ratna by the BJP government. The Congress party even opposed our decision to set up a semiconductor manufacturing unit in Assam’s Nagaon district,” he said.

The Prime Minister claimed that Congress has no love and respect for the Assamese people, and instead, they are biased towards the infiltrators.

“Congress backed the infiltrators who have destroyed the demography of Assam because those infiltrators are the vote bank of the opposition party. The BJP, on the contrary, has always been protective about ensuring the rights of people of Assam,” he said, adding that the current dispensation has been working tirelessly to protect the indigenous people of the state.

Earlier in the day, PM Modi paid homage to the martyrs of the historic Assam Movement at the Swahid Smarak Kshetra in Guwahati, marking a deeply emotional moment for the people of the state.

The Prime Minister offered floral tributes and garlanded the bust of Khargeswar Talukdar, the first martyr of the six-year-long anti-foreigner agitation that began in 1979, remembering the sacrifices made to protect Assam’s identity, culture and rights.

The Swahid Smarak Kshetra is dedicated to the 860 people who lost their lives during the Assam Movement. During his visit, PM Modi also toured the martyrs’ gallery, where busts of all the martyrs have been installed, paying respect to each of them.

His presence at the memorial was seen as a strong gesture of acknowledgement of Assam’s turbulent past and the price paid by its people.

The Prime Minister also held a special and inspiring interaction with 25 selected students from different parts of Assam aboard the cruise vessel ‘Charaideo’ on the Brahmaputra River, marking a unique engagement during his two-day visit to the state.

–IANS

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