lok-sabha-elections

Updated: Apr 06, 2019 00:33 IST

Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah Friday said it was the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government that brought peace and development to the northeast, where militant activities were rampant even five years ago.

Addressing a rally here in Changlang district, he said the saffron party is committed to take action against cross-border terrorism and insurgency in the region.

“Even five years ago, the northeast region was disturbed, there was hardly any development owing to militant activities among other roadblocks. The BJP has brought peace to the region and paved way for its development,” he claimed.

Shah insisted that “political stability returned to the state after the BJP formed government in the state”.

Terming the people of Arunachal “patriots”, he said that this Himalayan state withstood the Chinese onslaught in 1962 even when then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, in a statement, expressed helplessness for Assam.

The BJP chief also pointed out that PM Modi has instructed his ministers to visit the northeast states every fortnight and resolve the problems of the region.

“All parts of the northeast now have air and rail connectivity. In Arunachal alone, the government has sanctioned ~50,000 crore for the development of roads,” he stated.

Highlighting the achievements of the National Democratic Alliance for Arunachal, Shah said the state was the first in the northeast to get its two cities — Itanagar and Pasighat — into the list of smart cities under the Smart City Mission, besides air services to Pasighat and Tezu under the UDAAN scheme.

Hitting out at the Congress, he said the development work had come to a halt under the grand old party. The Congress has made no effort during its tenure to root out terrorism or corruption from the country, he said.

“When Modi ji took action against Pakistan-sponsored terrorist groups by ordering an air strike on their camps, post the Pulwama attack, a pall of gloom descended on Pakistan and on the face of Rahul Gandhi,” he claimed.

Noting that Morarji Desai was the last prime minister who attended meetings of the Northeastern Council, he said 40 years later, it was Modi who attended the convention in Shillong.

“It is for the first time that BJP is fighting on all assembly seats in Arunachal Pradesh. Our winning streak started in this region when three MLAs of our party were elected uncontested,” he maintained.