KALIABOR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday accused the Congress of handing over Assam's land to infiltrators for votes during its rule in the northeastern state.
Modi, while addressing a rally here, said infiltration "kept increasing" during the Congress rule in Assam for decades, with illegal immigrants "encroaching upon forests, animal corridors and traditional institutions".
''The BJP government is protecting Assam's identity and culture by evicting infiltrators who encroached land,'' he said.
Modi said the Congress has lost the trust of people as it gives a ''message of negative politics'', and now, the BJP is the ''first choice” of voters in the country.
''Voters trust BJP for good governance and development. In the Bihar polls, people gave the party record votes and seats even after 20 years in power,” he said.
In the Maharashtra civic polls, too, people voted for the BJP and even in Kerala, ''we now have a mayor from the party'', Modi said.
The Prime Minister was speaking at the rally in Nagaon district, after laying the foundation stone for the Rs 6,957-crore Kaziranga Elevated Corridor, and virtually flagging off two Amrit Bharat trains.
The Kaziranga corridor will help provide wildlife a safe passage during floods, he said.
Modi asserted that the BJP government's efforts ensured that no rhino was killed due to poaching at the Kaziranga National Park in 2025.
''India has shown to the world that both ecology and economy can march together,'' he said.
Assam's development is opening up opportunities for the entire northeast, and the Act East Policy will take the region to new heights, the PM stated.
“The projects launched in Assam have strengthened the BJP's mantra of development,” he added.