Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday launched a strong attack on the Congress party, accusing it of decades of neglect toward Arunachal Pradesh and the entire Northeast region. Addressing a public meeting in Itanagar, Modi said the Northeast had long been ignored because of its smaller population and limited political weight, but the BJP-led NDA government has made the region a top development priority.
Calling the eight northeastern states “Ashtalakshmi,” Modi said, “We worship the eight northeastern states in the form of Ashtalakshmi. Those whom nobody cared about, Modi worships.” He alleged that Congress never gave Arunachal the attention it deserved simply because it sends only two Lok Sabha MPs to Parliament. “Parties like Congress thought there are fewer people here and only two seats, so why focus on this state? That is why the entire Northeast lagged in development,” he remarked.
Modi contrasted the BJP government’s approach with that of past Congress regimes, pointing out that earlier, central ministers rarely visited the Northeast and, when they did, it was only once every few months. “In our government, Union ministers have collectively visited the region over 800 times,” he said, adding that they now travel to even the most remote districts and villages.
Highlighting his own commitment, Modi noted that he has personally visited the Northeast more than 70 times as Prime Minister. Emphasizing the NDA’s vision, he said, “Our inspiration is not votes or seats but the idea of ‘nation first.’ Our mantra is ‘nagrik devo bhavah’ — citizens are like gods.”
