Prime Minister failed to ensure development in North east: Modi

Guwahati: Bharatiya Janata Party’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi on Saturday said that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had failed to ensure development of North-East though he represented Assam for the last 23 years in the Rajya Sabha.
Launching a scathing attack on Manmohan Singh, Modi said that even if an ordinary worker from Assam would have represented the state for so many years, he could have changed the face of the state.

He said that Manmohan Singh has, however, failed to do so and owes an explanation to the people for it.

“For 23 years, you have been sending Prime Ministers from here. You tell me, you made such a big investment but what did you get in return. Did you get anything? If he being yours could not do anything for you, then what will he do for the nation,” Modi said.

“Among all North East states, Assam’s condition is the worst,” he said, alleging ‘Congress leaders are narrow-minded. Their thinking is narrow, dreams are small and vision is shortsighted’.

“You are sitting in Rajya Sabha for 23 years, holding the coveted post of Prime Minister and yet your own state of Assam is facing such a bad condition, then you can imagine in what bad shape will the whole country be,” he said.

Modi said that in a democratic set-up, people of Assam and that of the nation have the right to demand an explanation from the Prime Minister for failing to meet their expectations.

“People of the country have the right to seek an answer from you and people of Assam have a special right to demand an answer from you (Prime Minister),” the BJP strongman said.

Modi also lashed out at the Congress governments, both at Assam and the Centre.

“You have tolerated Congress for 60 years. They only made promises and misguided the country. Give me just 60 months, I will fulfill your aspirations,” he said.

Attacking Congress government over corruption, the BJP leader said, “They are depositing black money abroad and do not want to bring it back.”

The BJP government will do everything to bring all black money to India and invest in various development works, including for the poor, spreading education and giving food and medicine to the elderly, he said.

Modi also raked up the issue of Assam’s land, which the Central government is seeking to barter with Bangladesh as part of a treaty.

“Congress leaders think this country is their personal property. They have decided to give certain land of Assam. Have they asked you or sought your permission. Why are they doing so? Did you ask your leaders,” he said questioning the right of the UPA government to give away Assam’s land.

The Gujarat Chief Minister also praised Assam for its tea industry, saying the brew ‘wakes’ up the people of the country and he has a special love for it.

“Assam has both tea and timber. And I have a special love for tea. I used to fill energy in people by boiling the tea leaves from Assam,” said Modi, who was once a tea vendor.

He also raised the issue of bloodshed in Assam due to communal clashes saying, “People of Assam are peace-loving, yet who has brought bloodshed to Assam. Who is responsible for the death of so many youth? Will we allow this game of bloodbath to continue?”

Modi also took a dig at the Congress party for remembering the country’s first Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel ‘only after’ the BJP decided to make the ‘statue of unity’ in his memory in Gujarat.

“It is our achievement that for 60 years when you forgot him, we have forced you to remember him,” he said and also took a jibe at the Congress for ‘waking up’ to install a statue of Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji n the Arabian Sea.

“For you, Vallabhbhai Patel may be a political leader, but for us he is a national leader. Congress leaders will never be able to understand our feelings for Patel,” he said.

Modi said that Assam, which is rich in natural resources and has intelligent youth who are ready to contribute to progress, can turn to the path of speedy development.

He said that the state has to follow the path of ‘peace, unity and brotherhood and move towards development’.

He lamented that Assam is doing the worst in terms of development among the North East states and even Nagaland is better than it.

He also said that if a state like Sikkim can develop tourism in a big way then why can’t it be done in Assam.