Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched a strong attack on the Congress during his visit to poll-bound Assam, accusing the opposition party of encouraging infiltration, spreading misinformation and neglecting the interests of indigenous communities in the state.

Speaking at separate events in Kokrajhar and Guwahati while unveiling development projects, the Prime Minister urged voters to send a clear political message in the upcoming elections.

Modi targets Congress over infiltration claims

Addressing a public meeting in Kokrajhar via video conferencing, Modi alleged that the Congress had historically supported infiltrators and failed to protect the rights of local communities.

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"The hand of the Congress has always been with the infiltrators and is even today. For decades, the Congress did not even give legal documents of land to the original inhabitants here.

"I have come to urge you to give the strictest punishment to the Congress in the coming elections; give a clear message that now there is no place for infiltrators in the country. The message emanating from Assam will become the voice of the entire country," he said.

He also claimed that land belonging to tribal communities had been handed over to infiltrators during earlier administrations.

"In districts like Dhubri and Goalpara, the situation was very terrible. Due to this, the balance of population in Bodoland was getting disturbed; a crisis began to come upon the society. I am satisfied that under the leadership of Hemanta ji, a very big campaign to free the land from the possession of infiltrators is going on in Assam," he said.

Remarks on Bodoland and Congress governance

The Prime Minister said the Bodoland region had faced decades of neglect under previous Congress governments.

Modi said that for decades, the Bodoland region has been a witness to the betrayal of Congress. "The Congress kept many generations of Bodoland entangled in false dreams. The Congress governments sitting in Delhi made paper agreements only for show," he added.

Modi also accused the party of dividing communities for political gains.

"Congress used to create rifts among different communities for its selfish politics, the BJP worked for permanent peace," he added. "Congress is a shop of false promises. And with one false promise, it gives four super-lies as gifts. Because, the Congress does not even have the intention to fulfil those promises. On the other hand, the model of BJP-NDA is before you," the PM said.

Criticism over West Asia crisis remarks

Speaking in Guwahati, Modi further accused the Congress of spreading misinformation related to the ongoing crisis caused by the conflict in West Asia.

"Today, even in the midst of the crises created by the war, the Congress is only engaged in spreading rumours and disinformation," Modi said.

He also referred to comments by India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.

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"Now, where is North Korea, South Korea and where is the rise in inflation? And today the Congress people are engaged in misleading the country," the PM added.

Development projects and PM-KISAN instalment

Modi began a two-day visit to Assam on Friday, during which he inaugurated and laid foundation stones for development works worth more than Rs 24,000 crore in Guwahati and Kokrajhar.

In Guwahati, he also released the 22nd instalment of the PM-KISAN scheme for more than 93 million farmers across the country.

"When we started this scheme, Congress used to say that the amounts given to farmers would have to be returned after the election. But now this scheme has become a medium of social security for millions of farmers," he said.