New Delhi, March 30 Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday that Assam had experienced a long period of instability, but things changed in the past decade as the BJP's double-engine government made every effort to ensure peace in the state.
Twelve peace agreements were signed by the government with various organizations in the northeast, Modi said while addressing BJP booth-level workers in Assam, as part of the 'Mera Booth, Sabse Mazboot Samvaad' initiative.
The initiative aimed to directly convey messages to party activists ahead of the polls.
The prime minister said BJP workers must remind people how the Congress "used to make agreements only on paper to create headlines and mislead people."
"We have seen the era when Assam was engulfed in violence. Assam experienced a long period of instability, but things have changed in the past decade. But today, we can see a new sense of confidence as the BJP's double-engine government has made every effort for peace," he said.
Under the Congress, peace agreements were sidelined, and the youth were left to suffer and drift towards unrest, Modi said.
"No agreement with insurgents and student organizations worked during the Congress rule in Assam. The Congress betrayed the Bodo cause."
"The BJP worked to establish peace and secure the future of the youth. We are sincerely implementing peace agreements on the ground. Assam has witnessed how peace has been established through honest efforts in the past decade," he said.
Modi said everyone was working hard for the BJP-NDA government's hat-trick in Assam.
"I welcome the workers of the Assam BJP. I am a worker like you. Whatever responsibility is given to me, I fulfill that duty. Today, at the booth level, I got the opportunity to speak to you. I know you are busy and all of you are filled with the resolve of 'Mera Booth Sabse Mazboot'," he said.
There is a need to remind first-time voters of the "misrule" of previous Congress governments in Assam and caution them that even the smallest mistake can push the state back, he said.
"Peace is the primary requirement for a state's development," the PM underlined.
Modi also asked the Assam BJP booth workers to caution people against the circulation of AI-generated videos in the state.
The elections for the 126-member Assam Assembly will be held on April 9. The BJP-led NDA government has been in power in Assam since 2016.