Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a blistering political attack on the Congress party during a public rally in Guwahati on Saturday, accusing it of a historical betrayal. He alleged the party was complicit in a pre-Independence conspiracy with the Muslim League and the British to make Assam a part of what later became East Pakistan.
A Historical Conspiracy Alleged
Addressing a large crowd after inaugurating India's first nature-themed airport, named after Congress leader Gopinath Bordoloi, Modi framed the accusation in stark terms. He stated that the Congress had "committed a sin" by preparing to join hands with the Muslim League and the British rulers in the period leading up to India's partition.
"The roots of this sin of Congress are connected to before Independence," Modi asserted. "At the time when the Muslim League and the British were together preparing the ground for India's partition, a plan was made to make Assam a part of undivided Bengal or East Pakistan. Congress was going to become part of the conspiracy."
Bordoloi Praised, Contemporary Congress Condemned
In a pointed contrast, the Prime Minister praised Assam's first post-Independence Chief Minister, Gopinath Bordoloi, a Congress leader, as the state's saviour. He unveiled an 80-foot statue of Bordoloi, highlighting how he stood against his own party to oppose the alleged conspiracy and saved Assam from separation.
However, Modi swiftly pivoted to accuse the Congress of resuming "anti-Assam and anti-national work" after Independence. He claimed that for electoral gains, Congress allowed infiltrators into Bengal and Assam, deliberately altering the state's demography. "These infiltrators have encroached upon our forests. They have encroached upon our land. The result is that the security and identity of entire Assam has been put at stake," he said.
Linking History to Current Anxieties
Modi's remarks gained contemporary resonance against a tense regional backdrop. His speech came just a day after violent protests erupted in Bangladesh following the assassination of a youth leader there. This unrest has triggered fresh concerns in India's northeast about potential migration ahead of Bangladesh's elections in early 2026.
Analysts note that by invoking the spectre of East Pakistan and linking it to present-day turmoil and campaigns for a "Greater Bangladesh," Modi sharpened his longstanding message on vigilance against infiltration and demographic change. He positioned his government and that of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma as the bulwarks against this threat, working to free state resources from illegal encroachment.
"Congress and INDI alliance people have openly descended on an anti-national agenda," Modi alleged, adding that they were making statements in defence of infiltrators despite Supreme Court directives on their removal. He concluded with a call to action, urging the crowd to continuously defeat Congress's conspiracies to protect Assam's integrity.
