Guwahati: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday launched a scathing political offensive against the Congress in Assam, accusing the party of deliberately settling and shielding illegal Bangladeshi migrants to build a vote bank.
He also asserted that the BJP-led “double-engine government” is undoing decades of damage inflicted by previous regimes.

Speaking at a public gathering in Dibrugarh after laying the foundation stone for a ₹10,601-crore brownfield ammonia-urea fertiliser plant, Modi alleged that the Congress had consistently undermined Assam’s identity, land, and aspirations for political gain.

“The Congress has no concern for the identity of Assam and its people. They are only interested in power,” Modi said, accusing the party of prioritising illegal Bangladeshi migrants over indigenous communities.

The Prime Minister alleged that Congress governments had actively facilitated the settlement of undocumented migrants and were now opposing corrective measures such as voter list revisions to protect their political interests.

“That is why they like illegal Bangladeshi migrants more. The Congress settled them and protected them. This is why they are opposing the exercise to correct the voters’ list,” Modi said.

Escalating his attack, Modi claimed the Congress was still attempting to settle migrants on Assam’s land and forest areas to consolidate its vote base.

“They want to occupy Assam’s land and forests with Bangladeshis. You get destroyed, but they don’t care. They only want to strengthen their vote bank,” he told the crowd.

Warning against what he called the “poison” of appeasement politics, the Prime Minister said the BJP was committed to safeguarding Assam’s identity, dignity, and future.

“The BJP stands firmly with Assam. We prioritise every effort that enhances the state’s honour. That is why Congress gets unsettled,” Modi said.

Citing examples, he recalled the Congress’s opposition when the BJP government conferred the Bharat Ratna on legendary Assamese icon Bhupen Hazarika, and its resistance to major development initiatives like the establishment of a semiconductor unit in the state.

Modi also targeted the Congress over the historical neglect of Assam’s tea garden community, stating that despite ruling for decades, the party failed to grant land rights to workers.

“Our government gave land rights and dignity to the tea garden community. I am a chaiwalla — if I don’t stand with them, who will?” he said.

Turning to industrial and agricultural development, Modi accused previous Congress governments of allowing fertiliser units in Assam to decay, leading to repeated shutdowns and hardships for farmers.

“Old factories became obsolete, and Congress paid no attention. Units at Namrup kept shutting down. They never found solutions,” he said, adding that the BJP-led government was addressing problems created over decades.

Highlighting national reforms, Modi said urea production had risen sharply under the BJP.

“In 2014, India produced 225 lakh metric tonnes of urea. Today, after 10–11 years of hard work, production has reached around 306 lakh metric tonnes,” he said.

Calling the fertiliser project a landmark moment, Modi described the day as historic for Assam and the Northeast. He also referenced the inauguration of a new airport terminal in Guwahati earlier in the day, saying the state had entered a new phase of accelerated development.

The brownfield ammonia-urea project at Namrup, located within the Brahmaputra Valley Fertiliser Corporation Limited (BVFCL) complex, is expected to meet fertiliser demand in Assam and neighbouring states, cut import dependence, create employment, and boost the regional economy.

Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said BVFCL, the oldest fertiliser unit in Northeast India, would undergo a major expansion with a fourth plant at Namrup.

The proposed facility, backed by the Centre, is expected to be completed within five years with a production capacity of 12.5 lakh metric tonnes annually.

Sonowal added that the expanded facility would emerge as a key fertiliser hub for the Northeast and support exports to Bhutan and Myanmar, in addition to supplying West Bengal and Bihar.

Separately, the Assam Valley Fertiliser and Chemical Company Ltd project will have an annual urea capacity of 12.7 lakh metric tonnes and is slated for commissioning in 2030.

Earlier on Sunday, Modi visited the Swahid Smarak Kshetra at Paschim Boragaon in Guwahati, where he paid tribute to the martyrs of the Assam Movement.