Prime Minister Narendra Modi being blessed during a traditional Bodo cultural program at the Sarusajai Stadium in Guwahati on January 17, 2026. | Photo credit: ANI
The Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA governments at the Center and Assam are “purging the sins of the opposition” to speed up development, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday (Jan 17, 2026).
Without naming the Congress, Mr. Modi said Assam remained cut off from the mainstream for decades only because of the opposition.
“They have created instability in Assam for their political gains and pushed the state into the fire of violence,” he said while addressing Bagurumba Dhou 2026, a cultural event celebrating the heritage of the Bodo community at the Arjun Bhogeswar Baruah Sports Complex.
The Prime Minister is in Guwahati on a two-day visit. It was his second visit to the state in less than a month and his third time participating in a mass dance event since 2023. He had earlier participated in a world record-breaking Bihu mass dance by members of the Assamese community, followed by a Jhumoir dance by members of the Adivasi or “Tea Tribes” community.
Mr. Modi recalled that after independence Assam faced challenges but instead of finding solutions, the then rulers of the state exploited these problems for political gain. Criticizing the opposition party, the prime minister claimed that when confidence was needed, they sowed division; when dialogue was needed, they neglected it and closed the door of communication.
He pointed out that the voice of Bodoland, the domain of the Bodo community, was never properly heard. When Assam needed healing and service, they instead opened their doors to infiltrators and focused on welcoming them.
“The infiltrators changed the vote bank
The Prime Minister also touched on the issue of “illegal immigrants”, often referred to as Bangladeshis, which is a major part of the election struggles in Assam.
“The opposition party does not consider the people of Assam as its own, it prefers foreign infiltrators to become its loyal vote bank. He noted that under the opposition government, the infiltrators kept coming, occupying thousands of large areas and the government helping them,” he said.
Mr Modi praised Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for freeing millions of bighas of land from “infiltrators” and returning it to the rightful people of Assam, attacking the opposition for “deliberately” pushing the region into trouble.
Published – 17 Jan 2026 11:00 PM IST