Northeast has moved beyond guns, shutdowns, blockades says PM in Mizoram

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday accused the Congress of ignoring development in Mizoram and said that the northeast has moved beyond shutdowns, guns and blockades.

"The northeast has moved beyond guns, shutdowns and blockades. Today everyone is experiencing it from Itanagar to Aizawl, from Kohima to Kamrup," he said while addressing a public meeting in the poll-bound Mizoram that will be voting on Nov 28.

Modi also attacked Congress leaders for calling the attire of the northeast outlandish. "People in northeast in many places give me the traditional attire which is called outlandish by the Congress leaders. They speak a lot when they come here but this is their reality. I feel a deep sense of anguish, when I see the leaders of the Congress party abuse the same traditions."

"In the last four years, the BJP government at the Centre, has worked for greater recognition, and spread of Indian culture and traditions, far and wide," he said.

Appealing to the people of the state to get rid of the Congress rule, Modi said, "Due to the Congress government in Mizoram, people are not being able to benefit from it. In fact, the Congress government does not bother about Mizoram.

"Its work culture has caused many projects to be delayed, leading to crumbling infrastructure in the state. However, the neighbouring states have excellent roads," he said.

Taking a dig at the Congress, Modi said that the work culture of the Congress is not development. Its culture is to "delay, halt and divert...For them corruption is the medium of politics," he alleged.

Highlighting his government's "Act East and Act Fast for India's East" Modi said, "In the last four and half years, the BJP at the Centre has been working on 'Act fast for India's East'. And we have developed every region of the Northeast."

The Prime Minister also took a dig at the Congress for being confined to only two to three states where it is in power. "The Congress which once governed most of the Indian States is now restricted to just two or three states. Now, the people of Mizoram, have a golden opportunity to rid themselves of this Congress culture."

Describing the Congress' policies as "divide and rule", Modi said "after decades of exploitation at the hands of the Congress, it is now that the people of the country have understood their formula. For them, only the chair matters."

The 40-seat Mizroam Assembly will go to polls on November 28. Counting of votes will take place on December 11. Mizoram is the only state in the northeast where the Congress is ruling.