DIBRUGARH, March 30 - Launching a scathing attack on the Congress party, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said that all those connected with tea are despised by the grand old party.
Addressing a huge election rally at Polo Club ground in Moran, some 45 km from here, for BJP candidates Rameswar Teli (Dibrugarh Lok Sabha seat) and Topon Kumar Gogoi (Jorhat), Modi said the Congress dislikes the people associated with tea so much that they neglected the workers in Assam and West Bengal for the past seven decades.
�They could not even provide the workers, who provide tea to the entire world, with the basic needs.
They hate the chowkidar and even the chaiwalla that I know, but I have discovered that they have a sense of hate feeling even for all those associated with tea. If not, why would they leave the workers to suffer for several decades? Only a chaiwalla can understand the pain of chaiwallas.
That�s the reason why we got bank accounts opened for tea estate (TE) workers to pay Rs 5,000 in two instalments, besides disbursing Rs 12,000 to the pregnant women in plantations and providing free rice and sugar at Rs 2,� he said, adding that no one would ever snatch these services from the workers.
Highlighting several developmental programmes and ongoing projects in the State like power connections, health intervention programmes, LPG connections, concrete houses, and other individual benefits, Modi asked the crowd if they were happy with him.
On positive response, Modi said: �When you are happy and the entire country is happy, there are two places where people are in discomfort. One is the Congress family and the other one is the havens of the terrorist. When you press the button next to the lotus symbol on April 11, these two places will be silenced. For the first time in the country, our soldiers entered the enemy�s homeland and attacked them. But the Congress is not happy. When the whole world stood by us, the Congress remains disturbed,� Modi said.
The Prime Minister also said that his government was working seriously to accord scheduled tribe (ST) status to Ahom, Mottock, Moran, Chutia, Koch Rajbongshi and tea tribes communities without harming the rights of the existing ST people of the State. �We will implement the Assam Accord, which has remained stagnant since the Congress rule. Along with the development of the State, the identity and the rich cultures of the State will be protected,� he said.
Taking credit for completing the gas cracker project, Dhola-Sadiya bridge (Bhupen Hazarika Setu), Bogibeel bridge and so on, Modi said that the projects were stuck during the Congress rule but the NDA government had managed to complete those in last five years.
�Dibrugarh being one of the nerve centres for trade, commerce and employment, besides having huge potential, lacked connectivity with the rest of the region. We have made efforts to connect it with railways like Rajdhani touching Moran,� the Prime Minister said.
The rally was also attended by Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, State ministers, sitting MPs and MLAs of the BJP.
Biswanath Chariali Correspondent adds: �Only those people can work for the development of the country and Assam, as well, in whose heart the country and Assam exist,� said Prime Minister Narendra Modi today addressing a mammoth gathering at Baranipathar under Gohpur subdivision in Biswanath district.
Praising the huge crowd for attending his election rally, Modi sought the blessings of Goddess Kamakhya and saluted Srimanta Sankaradeva, Madhavdeva and Dr Bhupen Hazarika at the outset of his address. �I get inspired to work for the people when I see such faith upon me and I am here again to seek your support to complete my works,� he said.
Modi called upon the people to cast their vote in favour of the BJP in order to save the country from the infiltrators and terrorists. �People�s support strengthens us to attack and finish the terrorists entering their hideouts,� he said.
Terming the alliance of the opposition parties as �mahamilawat�, Modi appealed to the public not to give them a chance to come to power. �If they come to power, the country and Assam would revert to the days of backwardness,� he said.
�The elders know how much Assam was cheated by the governments just after the Independence and if Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Lokapriya Gopinath Bardoloi had not been there, the State would have perished. Assam and the Northeast have still been suffering for what the governments did in the 1970s,� he said.
Recalling the contributions of the martyrs of Asaam, Gohpur in particular, Modi said their sacrifices have led the country to the top of development making it strong.
Commenting on the achievements of the Sarbananda Sonowal-led NDA government in the State, the Prime Minister said a good number of activities have been undertaken for the benefit of the poor such as schemes in health sector, LPG connection, dwelling houses, electricity connection, besides those schemes for tea garden workers and farmers.
Modi also declared that as many as five bridges would be constructed on the river Brahmaputra and the Gohpur-Numaligarh bridge is one of them. Work for four-laning of the National Highway 15 from Tezpur to Gohpur is going on in full swing and the Silghat-Tezpur broad gauge railway line is on the pipeline, he said.
Criticising the Congress, Modi said that if the party had any intention to solve the problems of Assam, they could have done this much earlier. The State had got a Prime Minister as its representative, but nobody perhaps remembers him now as he did nothing for Assam, he added.
Earlier, Modi was accorded a warm welcome and presented with japi, sarai, gamosa and other items. The meeting was also addressed by NEDA chairman and State Finance and Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Gohpur MLA Utpal Borah and others.
