'They gave land to infiltrators': PM Modi slams Congress; claims oldest party's 'vote-bank politics' disturbed demography in Assam

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday accused Congress of giving land to infiltrators during its tenure for vote bank politics and alleged that the citizens were insulted because they were to appease a "particular class".While addressing a rally in Assam's Golaghat, PM Modi said that Congress's “vote-bank politics” had triggered demographic changes in the state."Congress gave lands to infiltrators during its tenure here. Due to its votebank politics, Assam is today facing demographic change. Now the BJP government is fighting this challenge along with the people of Assam, trying to return the land to the rightful owner which was taken away. I would also like to praise the Assam government for Mission Basundhara. Under this, land leases have been given to lakhs of families... BJP is fully committed to correct the historical injustice done to the tribal society," PM Modi said in Golaghatt's Numaligarh.PM Modi, who is in Assam as a part of his 3 day visit to 5 states, hit out at the previous Congress-led governments in Assam, alleging that citizens were “insulted” to appease a “particular class.” “The BJP government has only one mantra for development. That mantra is—‘Nagrik Devo Bhava’. That is, the citizens of the country should not face any inconvenience. They should not have to wander here and there for their petty needs. For a long time during the rule of Congress, the poor were made to suffer and were insulted, because the work of Congress was done by appeasing a particular class. They used to get power. But the BJP does not emphasise appeasement, but satisfaction,” the Prime Minister said. He said work on building 20 lakh concrete houses in Assam for the poor was progressing at a fast pace. “We are working with the feeling that no poor, no area, should be left behind. Today, the work of building concrete houses for the poor in Assam is also progressing rapidly. So far, more than 20 lakh concrete houses have been provided to the poor in Assam,” he said. PM Modi described Assam as a key centre of the Atmanirbhar Bharat campaign and expressed confidence in the state’s potential in the semiconductor mission. He also recalled a time when Assam’s tea lacked recognition, but said the people of the state had turned it into a “global brand” in a short span of time."Today, our country is demonstrating the pinnacle of hard work for the Atmanirbhar Bharat campaign. Assam is one of the key centres of this campaign. I have full confidence in Assam's potential, which is why we have chosen Assam for a very large campaign, and that campaign is the Semiconductor Mission... During the era of slavery, Assam tea did not have that much recognition, but in no time, Assam's soil and the people of Assam turned Assam tea into a global brand," the Prime Minister said.