Itanagar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday accused the Congress of having an “inherent habit” of abandoning development projects that are difficult, which he said caused substantial setbacks to the Northeast.
Speaking at a rally at Indira Gandhi Park in Itanagar after unveiling development projects worth over ₹5,100 crore, Modi said he recognized that the Northeast could not be developed from Delhi alone. “That is why I sent ministers and officials frequently to the region, and personally visited more than 70 times,” he said.
“One inherent habit of Congress is avoiding development work that is difficult; they abandon it. This approach caused significant harm to Arunachal Pradesh and the entire Northeast. In hilly and forested areas, Congress would label regions as backward and simply ignore them,” he added.
The Prime Minister also highlighted the launch of the next-generation GST reforms coinciding with the first day of Navratri, calling it a “double bonanza” for citizens. “The GST reforms will help reduce household expenses, benefiting women,” he said, adding that the previous Congress government increased taxes while prices kept rising, whereas his government has gradually reduced them to provide relief.
Modi criticized successive Congress governments for neglecting border villages, which led to migration from these areas. He also said Arunachal Pradesh was ignored due to having just two Lok Sabha seats. “When I became Prime Minister in 2014, I resolved to change the mindset of Congress. Our guiding principle is ‘nation first,’ not votes or seats. Our only mantra is ‘Nagrik Devo Bhava’—the citizen is God,” he said.
“Modi focuses on those whom no one has ever considered. That is why Arunachal Pradesh, long neglected under Congress, has since 2014 become a priority for development,” he added.
Referring to the projects unveiled, he said they reflect the “double benefits” of a “double-engine” government. “Arunachal Pradesh received ₹1 lakh crore from the Centre in the past 10 years, 16 times more than what it got under Congress rule,” he said.
