PM links development, ecology and security as Assam heads into polls
BuzzBytes | Kaliabor (Assam) | January 18, 2026
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday launched a sharp attack on the Congress, accusing it of handing over Assam’s land to infiltrators for votes during its decades-long rule in the state, and asserted that the BJP government is firmly protecting Assam’s identity, culture and security.
Addressing a rally in Kaliabor on the second day of his visit to poll-bound Assam, the Prime Minister said infiltration kept increasing under Congress rule, with illegal immigrants encroaching upon forests, animal corridors and traditional institutions. He alleged that such encroachments disturbed the demographic balance, threatened cultural heritage, snatched jobs from poor and unemployed youth, and led to fraudulent occupation of land in tribal areas.
“The BJP government is protecting Assam’s identity and culture by evicting infiltrators who had encroached upon land,” Modi said, warning people to remain vigilant against the Congress, which he described as a party whose “only policy is to protect infiltrators and gain power”.
He claimed that the Congress and its allies were following the same approach across the country and cited Bihar elections, where he said opposition parties organised marches and rallies to shield infiltrators but were “completely rejected” by voters. “The people of Assam, too, will give a strong response,” he asserted.
The Prime Minister said the Congress had lost the trust of the people due to what he called its politics of negativity, while the BJP had emerged as the first choice of voters nationwide because of its focus on governance and development. Referring to recent electoral outcomes, Modi pointed to BJP’s strong performance in Bihar after two decades in power, its success in Maharashtra civic polls, and the party securing a mayoral post in Kerala.
“Just two days ago, results of mayoral and councillor elections in major cities of Maharashtra were declared. Mumbai, one of the largest municipal corporations in the world, gave the BJP a record mandate for the first time,” he said, adding that voters across the country were choosing development with a balance between progress and heritage.
Modi said these election results also conveyed a clear message that the country was consistently rejecting the negative politics of the opposition. “A party with no agenda for development can never serve the interests of Assam or Kaziranga,” he said.
Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister laid the foundation stone for the ₹6,957-crore Kaziranga Elevated Corridor and virtually flagged off two Amrit Bharat trains. Describing Kaziranga National Park as the soul of Assam and a priceless jewel of India’s biodiversity, recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, Modi said the elevated corridor would address a long-standing challenge faced by wildlife during floods.
Explaining the project’s significance, he said animals such as rhinos, elephants and tigers often get trapped while crossing national highways in search of higher ground during floods. “After completion of the elevated corridor, vehicles will move above while wildlife movement below will remain unhindered,” he said, adding that the design had been prepared keeping traditional animal movement routes in mind. The corridor will also improve connectivity between Upper Assam and Arunachal Pradesh and open new opportunities for the region.
Highlighting conservation efforts, Modi claimed that no rhino was killed due to poaching in Kaziranga in 2025. Recalling the situation in 2013 and 2014, when dozens of one-horned rhinos were poached, he said the BJP government strengthened security, provided modern resources to the forest department, enhanced surveillance and increased women’s participation through initiatives like ‘Van Durga’.
“India has shown the world that ecology and economy can move together,” he said, noting that tourism in Kaziranga has increased steadily, creating livelihoods for local youth through homestays, guiding services, transport, handicrafts and small businesses.
The Prime Minister also spoke about the Northeast’s long-standing sense of isolation, saying the region had suffered from a distance of both geography and trust for decades. He said BJP governments at the Centre and in states changed this perception by prioritising the Northeast and improving connectivity through roads, railways, airways and waterways.
Modi alleged that under Congress rule, Assam received only around ₹2,000 crore annually in the rail budget, while his government increased it more than fivefold to nearly ₹10,000 crore per year. This, he said, led to large-scale infrastructure development through new rail lines, doubling, electrification and improved passenger facilities.
Assam’s development, he added, is opening opportunities for the entire Northeast and giving fresh momentum to the Act East Policy, which will take the region to new heights.
