Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a rally in Itanagar on Monday, alleging that the Congress party has an “inherent habit” of abandoning any development work deemed difficult. This trend, according to Modi, has significantly harmed the Northeast region of India.
Unveiling development projects worth over Rs 5,100 crore at the Indira Gandhi Park, Modi explained his commitment to the Northeast. He emphasized the importance of not solely relying on Delhi for the region’s development. To demonstrate this, he noted that he has visited the area over 70 times and frequently sends ministers and officials there.
Modi stated, “One inherent habit of Congress is that they never take up development work which is difficult to do; they abandon it. This habit of Congress caused significant harm to Arunachal Pradesh and the entire Northeast. In hilly and forested areas, where development work was challenging, Congress would declare those regions backward and simply forget them.”
During his speech, Modi also highlighted the introduction of next-generation Goods and Services Tax (GST) reforms on the first day of Navratri, promising a “double bonanza” for citizens this festive season. In addition, he noted that the GST reforms would ease household budgets, helping women in particular.
“Today, next-generation GST reforms have been implemented across the country, and the GST ‘Bachat Utsav’ has begun. During the season of festivals, the people have received a double bonanza,” he said.
Modi criticized the previous Congress government’s tax policies, stating they imposed a heavy tax burden while costs continued to rise. “Congress kept on increasing taxes even as everything got expensive, but our government has gradually reduced taxes, giving relief,” he asserted.
The Prime Minister also pointed out that successive Congress governments neglected border villages, leading to a significant migration of people from these areas. He claimed that Arunachal Pradesh received less attention due to its limited representation in Lok Sabha, having only two seats.
“When I was given the opportunity to serve the nation in 2014, I resolved to free the country from the mindset of Congress. Our guiding principle is not the number of votes or seats in any state, but ‘nation first’. Our only mantra is ‘Nagrik Devo Bhava’ (the citizen is God),” Modi articulated.
He further stated, “Modi worships those whom no one has ever asked about. That is why Arunachal Pradesh, which was neglected during Congress rule, has since 2014 become a center of developmental priority.”
In outlining the recent projects, Modi referred to them as an example of “double benefits” provided by his government model, dubbed the “double-engine” government. He noted, “Arunachal received Rs 1 lakh crore from the Centre in the last 10 years, which is 16 times more than what it got during Congress rule.”
As these developments unfold, local residents express optimism about the potential growth and improvement in infrastructure. The Prime Minister’s focus on the Northeast signals a commitment to enhance the region’s development trajectory in align with national goals.
