Guwahati

Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted supporters during a roadshow in Guwahati on Saturday following the inauguration of the new terminal building at Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport.

Addressing a gathering after unveiling the modern terminal, the Prime Minister launched a sharp attack on the Congress, accusing the party of historically neglecting Assam and the Northeast and alleging that it had once been part of a larger political design that could have led to Assam’s merger with erstwhile East Pakistan.

PM Modi said freedom fighter Gopinath Bordoloi, Assam’s first Chief Minister, had firmly opposed such attempts despite being in the Congress at the time, thereby safeguarding the state’s identity and territorial integrity.

“For decades, the Congress kept making mistakes. Today, Modi is correcting those mistakes one by one,” the Prime Minister said, adding that the development of Assam and the Northeast was never a priority for previous Congress-led governments.

He further alleged that the Congress had committed a “grave mistake” by undermining Assam’s cultural and political identity. Recalling the period before Independence, Modi said that when the British and the Muslim League were laying the groundwork for Partition, there was also a proposal to merge Assam with undivided Bengal or East Pakistan. “At that time, Gopinath Bordoloi stood up against his own party and defeated the conspiracy to separate Assam from India,” he said.

Highlighting the state’s development trajectory under the BJP, the Prime Minister compared it to the uninterrupted flow of the Brahmaputra river, stating that Assam was witnessing continuous progress under the “double-engine” government at the Centre and in the state.

PM Modi said world-class airport infrastructure plays a crucial role in boosting economic growth, connectivity and public confidence, calling the new terminal a symbol of Assam’s rising aspirations.

“Today marks a celebration of development — not just for Assam, but for the entire Northeast. The nation will see Assam celebrating the festival of progress,” he said.

Expressing his personal bond with the state, the Prime Minister said the affection of the people of Assam, especially women, continues to motivate him to work harder for the region’s advancement. “A new chapter is being written in Assam’s development journey,” he added.

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Assam is scheduled to go to the Assembly polls in the first half of next year.