Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticized the Congress party during a rally in Itanagar on Monday, alleging an “inherent habit” of neglecting challenging development projects. He claimed this trend has caused significant hardship in the Northeast region.
At the Indira Gandhi Park, Modi unveiled development projects worth over Rs 5,100 crore aimed at enhancing infrastructure and economic growth in Arunachal Pradesh. He emphasized his commitment to frequent visits to the region, stating, “I have come here more than 70 times, knowing that developing the Northeast cannot be achieved from Delhi alone.”
Modi further elaborated, “One inherent habit of Congress is that they never take up development work that’s difficult to do; they abandon it. This has caused substantial harm to Arunachal Pradesh and the entire Northeast. In hilly and forest regions, where development is challenging, Congress would declare these areas backward and forget them entirely.”
In a festive context, Modi announced that the launch of next-generation Goods and Services Tax (GST) reforms coinciding with Navratri would provide a “double bonanza” to the citizens during the festive season. “With the initiation of GST reforms, citizens will see a reduction in their kitchen budgets, significantly benefiting women,” he noted.
He criticized the previous Congress-led government for continuously increasing taxes, stating, “The Congress imposed a heavy tax burden on the people, while our government has gradually provided relief by reducing taxes.”
Modi highlighted the issue of border villages in Arunachal Pradesh being overlooked by past Congress administrations. He pointed to a troubling trend of migration from these areas due to lack of attention and resources.
He claimed that Congress has frequently neglected Arunachal Pradesh, primarily due to its allocation of only two Lok Sabha seats. “When I got the chance to serve in 2014, I aimed to liberate the country from the Congress mindset. Our guiding principle transcends vote counts; it’s about ‘nation first’. Our mantra is ‘Nagrik Devo Bhava’,” he stated.
Furthermore, Modi expressed that his government prioritizes the citizens often overlooked in national discourse, asserting, “That is why Arunachal Pradesh, once neglected during Congress rule, has now become a developmental priority since 2014.”
He concluded by illustrating the successful developmental initiatives introduced by his administration, claiming that Arunachal Pradesh received Rs 1 lakh crore from the Centre over the last decade, a staggering 16 times more than during the Congress era. These developments reflect what he referred to as the “double benefits” provided by the “double-engine” government.
