STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: Senior Congress leader and Leader of the Congress Legislative Party, Debabrata Saikia launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his recent Assam visit, alleging that the Prime Minister’s speech was more an attempt to conceal failures than present a true account of development.
In a statement, Saikia said the Prime Minister’s address reflected electoral anxiety rather than confidence, noting that nearly nine minutes of a 20-minute speech were spent attacking the Congress instead of outlining development initiatives. “This raises the question—does the BJP fear defeat in the upcoming Assam Assembly elections?” he asked.
Saikia further alleged that by repeatedly highlighting corruption during the Congress era, the Prime Minister had indirectly criticized his own ministers in Assam, many of whom had earlier served in Congress governments and currently hold key portfolios such as education, health and public works. He described this as an example of the BJP’s so-called “washing machine politics”, where leaders are absolved of past allegations after joining the party.
On the issue of recruitment irregularities, Saikia claimed that even the current Chief Minister has indirectly admitted that job scams took place during the tenure of former Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal. “The Prime Minister’s attacks on Congress are aimed at diverting attention from these failures,” he said.
Accusing the Prime Minister of betraying past promises, Saikia recalled Modi’s 2014 remark that illegal Bangladeshi immigrants would be forced to “pack their bags,” stating that the issue has since been conveniently forgotten. He also expressed disappointment that Modi did not mention Zubeen Garg, Assam’s iconic singer and cultural figure, terming it an insult to Assamese sentiment.
Drawing a broader criticism, Saikia said the Prime Minister has been labelled “Aurangzeb” in Varanasi over allegations of destroying ancient religious sites, and alleged that a similar destructive mindset was evident in his approach toward Assam.
Saikia concluded by stating that the Prime Minister’s speech failed to inspire confidence and instead exposed the BJP’s political insecurity and unfulfilled promises in the state.
Also read: Debabrata Saikia flags ‘serious irregularities’ in SR, writes to CEC