Tura: The BJP organised a bike rally on Saturday to escort Assam's minister for transport, commerce and industries Chandra Mohan Patowary from Asanang on the outskirts of Tura to a playground in New Tura where more than 4,000 BJP's booth-level workers from eight different constituencies had assembled to welcome him.

Patowary, who lashed out at the Congress-led government, said: "The rally clearly indicated that a BJP wave is slowly gaining momentum in the hills of Meghalaya and I am sure that the Congress will be wiped out from the state in the 2018 elections. It is time for them to relax and sleep and hand over the charge of leading the state to the BJP. The development of Meghalaya and the entire Northeast depends on formations of BJP governments."

"I have worked with 10 different Prime Ministers of India, but I have seen only Vajpayee ji and Modiji show keen interest in development of the Northeast. I see a bright future for the Northeast under the BJP rule. That was the reason why I left the AGP to join the BJP in 2014," he added.

"Narendra Modi, in his maiden speech in Parliament, had said 'If India has to develop, the Northeast has to march ahead'. Modi ji had said that 'NE' means 'new engine' for growth of India," he said.

"In different investment summits across the world, I represent not just Assam, but the entire Northeast because there are lots of opportunities for investment in the region, but the leaders from Meghalaya failed to market the state as an investment destination."

He said the Congress is "trying to create confusion by branding the BJP a Hindu party".

"We see existence of God in every living being and do not differentiate people on the basis of religion. The Constitution guarantees equal opportunities to each one of us. Everyone has the right to practise his/her religion and eat what he/she desires," the veteran politician said.

"Meghalaya does not have good roads and a single airport to cater to the needs of its people."

He criticised Congress leaders from Meghalaya for failing to bring development in the region. "Your leaders cannot speak in Delhi and make themselves heard," he said.