Dibrugarh/Jorhat: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday claimed that India's neighbours wanted to "break up" Assam by taking advantage of the unrest here earlier, but their "dreams were shattered" as the Narendra Modi government brought peace to the region.
Militancy has come to an end, and 92 per cent of the assurances made in the peace agreements with various groups have already been implemented, he told a poll rally.
Fadnavis maintained that the BJP-led government in Assam has not only ensured the state's development but also protected its identity.
He accused the Congress of having neglected the state and the northeastern region by adopting a "step-motherly attitude" towards them, while Modi has put the region at the centre of development.
Addressing a rally in support of BJP's Dibrugarh candidate Prasanta Phukan, Fadnavis said, "Due to the unrest in the state earlier, neighbouring countries thought they would break Assam someday. But their dreams were shattered by Modi ji, and Assam is progressing fast today." Crediting the BJP government with bringing militant groups to the mainstream, the Maharashtra chief minister said not only were peace accords signed with them, but 92 per cent of the assurances made to them have been implemented.
"Work is on to implement the remaining eight per cent of promises also," he added.
Highlighting the various welfare measures of the state government, Fadnavis said special emphasis was being given on women's empowerment in line with the Centre's thrust on it.
"Women have benefited the most under Modiji's government. It will be 'Mahila raaj' from 2029 when 33 per cent reservation is implemented in Parliament and state Assemblies," he added.
The BJP leader said tea garden workers, who have been here for the past 200 years, were finally given the right to land by this government, which has ensured various other developmental measures for them.
Accusing the Congress of not working to stop infiltrators as the party viewed them as "vote bank", he said, "The indigenous population was dwindling, and their livelihoods were being snatched." However, with the BJP in power, the indigenous people are getting back their due, Fadnavis added.
Speaking at another rally in support of the BJP's Jorhat candidate Hitendra Nath Goswami, the Maharashtra chief minister alleged that infiltration was at its peak in Assam under Congress governments.
"People had to launch a movement against it, and scores were martyred. But the influx did not stop, and the state was burning. It was staring at a full demographic change." "The situation changed when Modi came to power (at the Centre). Infiltration has been stopped, and almost all militant groups in the state are returning to the mainstream," he claimed.
Fadnavis claimed that the state's demography would have changed and Assam's history would have been rewritten under the Congress rule.
"The Modi government works not just for development, but also protects the state's identity, culture, history, and tradition," he said.
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The Maharashtra chief minister told the gathering that the BJP-led government in Assam has ensured massive infrastructure development for the state.
Mentioning the Tata Group's semiconductor unit at Jagiroad, Fadnavis said, "It Modiji's to Assam. It will place the state on the global map." He also stressed that Modi has visited the state 35 times since assuming office, which he claimed was more than all the visits of all the Congress prime ministers taken together, including Manmohan Singh, who was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Assam.
He added that countries with the ability to manufacture semiconductors will be global leaders in the future, and India has joined the elite ranks of a handful of nations.
Taking a dig at the Congress, Fadnavis alleged it had always adopted a "step-motherly attitude" towards the northeast, due to which the region did not see much development, and was embroiled in unrest.
He also criticised the opposition party for its "anti-national stance" during the West Asia crisis, claiming it was trying to create discontent among the people by raising false doubts over the availability of LPG and fuel.
"We had also been in the opposition, but we had never acted in such a shameful manner," he said.
Taking a dig at state Congress president Gaurav Gogoi, who is also the opposition party's candidate in Jorhat, Fadnavis said, "Those in Lok Sabha should remain there. BJP will return to power, and he will have no work here." Gogoi is also the Congress deputy leader in the Lok Sabha.
(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)
