PM Modi accuses Congress of protecting infiltrators, claims BJP securing assam
Guwahati: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday (December 20, 2025) slammed the Congress, accusing it of having “neglected” Assam and the Northeast for decades and claiming that the BJP-led government was now undoing the damage caused by years of what he described as policy failures.
Speaking at a public rally after inaugurating the new terminal building of the Lokapriya Gopinath Bardoloi International Airport in Guwahati, PM Modi alleged that the development of Assam and the Northeast had never figured in the Congress’ political priorities.
“The Congress gave protection to infiltrators who encroached upon forests and land, threatening the security and identity of Assam. For decades, the Congress kept making mistakes in the Northeast, and the BJP government is correcting them one by one,” the Prime Minister said.
Referring to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls initiated by the Election Commission of India (ECI), Modi said the exercise was aimed at ensuring that infiltrators are excluded from the democratic process.
He alleged that “deshdrohis” (traitors) were opposing the move to protect such elements.
“The Centre is taking strict steps to stop infiltration,” he asserted.
PM Modi further claimed that development under the BJP’s “double-engine government” in Assam was moving smoothly and continuously, likening it to the uninterrupted flow of the Brahmaputra river.
“My deep attachment to the land of Assam inspires me and gives me strength to work for the development of the region. Assam and the entire Northeast are emerging as the gateway to India’s development. Every state and every region has a crucial role in the journey towards a developed India,” he said.
Statue of Gopinath Bardoloi unveiled
Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister unveiled an 80-foot statue of Assam’s first Chief Minister, Gopinath Bardoloi, outside the newly inaugurated airport terminal that bears his name.
The statue was sculpted by renowned artist Ram Sutar, who passed away on Wednesday (December 17) at the age of 101. Sutar had also created the 125-foot statue of legendary Ahom general Lachit Barphukan in Jorhat, which was unveiled by Mr. Modi in March 2024.
Gopinath Bardoloi, a Congress leader and a towering figure in Assam’s political history, was awarded the Bharat Ratna by the BJP-led government under former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.