Dibrugarh (Assam): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday launched development projects worth Rs 1,715 crore in Dibrugarh, Assam. Addressing a public meeting on the occasion, he launched a scathing attack on the Congress party over infiltration, development, and respect for Assamese culture. Shah appealed to the people present to vote for the BJP in the upcoming assembly elections.
The Home Minister alleged that the Congress had “used infiltration as a weapon for vote bank politics” and accused the party of compromising Assam’s security for electoral gains. Targeting Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Shah said, “I ask Rahul Gandhi what has the Congress given Assam besides guns, bullets, conflicts, and deaths?”
Shah also criticized Gandhi for not wearing the traditional Assamese Gamusa during the President’s ‘At Home’ program, claiming it showed a lack of respect for the state’s cultural identity. He said, “The BJP will not tolerate any insult to Assamese culture.” The projects launched and inaugurated during the event were presented by Shah as proof of the BJP-led central government’s commitment to Assam. These included laying the foundation stone for a second assembly complex and MLA hostel in Dibrugarh at a cost of Rs 284 crore, part of the government’s plan to develop the city as Assam’s second administrative center. Shah also inaugurated the first phase of the Khanikar multi-disciplinary sports complex, built at a cost of Rs 238 crore, and laid the foundation stone for its second phase, estimated to cost Rs 209 crore. He said such facilities would create opportunities for the youth and strengthen Assam’s sports ecosystem. Another significant announcement was the laying of the foundation stone for a wildlife health and research center in Chabua at a cost of Rs 292 crore, which Shah said would strengthen conservation efforts and scientific research in the state. He also launched a Rs 692 crore wetland restoration project under the National Disaster Mitigation Fund and claimed that the Centre has taken decisive steps to make Assam flood-free. Shah said, “The Congress did nothing for the development of Assam, but the BJP is fully committed to the state’s progress.” He further added that the proposed India-EU trade agreement would benefit Assam’s tea industry by opening up new export opportunities in European markets. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that these projects reflect the “double engine government’s” focus on long-term development. Sarma added that the Khanikar Sports Complex would also benefit athletes from neighboring states like Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland.
