Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched a scathing attack on the Congress during his two-day visit to poll-bound Assam, accusing the Opposition party of favouring infiltrators over Assamese people, neglecting the Northeast’s development and pushing Assam towards unrest.
He said his “double-engine sarkar” was now “cleaning up the sins” of previous Congress governments.
Modi was speaking at the Bagurumba Dwhou 2026, a mega cultural event celebrating the heritage of the Bodo community, held at Sarusajai stadium in Guwahati. Over 10,000 Bodo dancers performed the traditional Bagurumba dance, marking the third cultural celebration attended by Modi in Assam since 2023, following Bihu and jhumur events.
He said it was his “constant wish” that Assam’s culture “receive a larger platform” and that events such as Bagurumba Dwhou “honour Bodo tradition and history”. He accused the Congress of opposing the Bharat Ratna for Bhupen Hazarika and resisting a semiconductor unit in Assam.
“The Congress kept Assam and Bodoland disconnected from the mainstream. After Independence, when Assam needed healing, Congress opened its doors to infiltrators instead,” Modi said. He alleged Congress turned infiltrators into a “vote bank”, who encroached on lakhs of bighas of land with support from previous governments.
The Congress has ruled neither the Centre since 2014 nor Assam since 2016. Modi praised the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led government for “freeing lakhs of bighas of land from infiltrators” and claimed over 1.4 lakh bighas had been reclaimed so far, affecting around 50,000 people.
He also highlighted development and improved connectivity in Assam under the BJP rule. “Assam is now among the fastest-growing states,” he said.
Before arriving in Guwahati, Modi virtually flagged off India’s first Vande Bharat sleeper express, connecting Guwahati and Howrah, from Malda in Bengal. He also flagged off four Amrit Bharat Express trains, enhancing long-distance connectivity between eastern and northeastern India. The North Frontier Railway called it a major milestone in railway modernisation.
The Bodo community plays a crucial electoral role in at least 20 of Assam’s 126 Assembly seats. State polls are expected in March-April.
