Siliguri, Nov. 5 -- Union minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal launched a scathing attack on the Congress and the opposition INDIA bloc, accusing them of seeking power solely to "loot the country's treasury" rather than protect democracy.
Addressing a Press conference at a hotel in the Shiv Mandir area of Siliguri on Thursday, as part of the BJP's 'Save Democracy, Remove Anarchy' campaign, Sonowal alleged that the opposition's primary objective was to capture power by any means.
"Opposition parties are spreading misinformation and are attempting to disrupt law and order. People had recognised their intentions and were rejecting them electorally," he said.
Praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, the Union Minister alleged that the Congress had misled people for decades with slogans such as 'Garibi Hatao' without delivering meaningful results. In contrast, he claimed that the present government had lifted crores of people out of poverty by extending benefits such as housing, toilets, LPG connections, free food grains, electricity and healthcare facilities under Ayushman Bharat.
Criticising the Congress's past governance, Sonowal alleged: "Its tenure was marked by corruption and conflict." Referring to Assam, he accused the previous Congress government of introducing the Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunals) Act to protect illegal immigrants, which was subsequently struck down by the Supreme Court.
He further alleged that Northeast India remained neglected under successive Congress governments, while the region had witnessed accelerated development under the Modi government. Highlighting the Centre's development vision for the Northeast, Sonowal said: "Bullet train services would be introduced in the region soon. Northeast is the 'New Engine for India's Growth'."
Sonowal also criticised the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government in Bengal, alleging that it had failed to take stringent measures to prevent illegal infiltration.
The Union Minister also accused opposition parties of undermining constitutional institutions by blaming Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), the Election Commission and the judiciary after electoral defeats.
"Our vision is to build a developed India by 2047 under the government's Amrit Kaal roadmap. I urge the country's youth to play an active role in achieving the goal," the minister added.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.