Govt working to minimise impact of global conflicts on people, Cong trying to create panic: PM
Silchar (PTI): Asserting that the Centre was working to minimise the impacts of global conflicts on the people, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday alleged that the opposition Congress was acting "irresponsibly" by trying to create panic in the country.
Addressing a public meeting in Assam's Silchar after unveiling projects worth over Rs 23,550 crore, Modi alleged that the Congress had ignored the development of the Northeast for decades, and allowed a drawing of the border during Independence that cut off Barak Valley's access to the sea.
"As the world is facing wars, our effort is to minimise their impact on the people of the country. The Congress should have performed the role of a responsible political party, but it failed to do so. It is trying to create panic among the people," he alleged.
"They do not have any vision either for Assam or the nation, but only know how to abuse Modi, spread rumours, lies, and create false reels to mislead people," he claimed.
Modi also took on the Congress over its shirtless protest at the AI Impact Summit in Delhi last month, accusing the party of defaming the nation.
"The entire world is interested in AI, and the successful summit in Delhi was attended by global leaders, tech companies and their heads. But, the Congress tried to embarrass the country by indulging in a 'kapda phar' (tearing of clothes) exhibition," he said.
Modi said the entire country condemned "this vulgar" protest, but the "royal family of the Congress" is "patting themselves on the back".
"Congress is left with nothing but to tear its own clothes," he added.
Alleging that the Congress engages in activities against the nation's interest, the PM said it can never ensure the welfare of the people of any state.
"Congress is losing one election after another, and in the near future, the party will hit a century of its losses. The despair of its losses has led it to open a front against the nation, and its leaders are busy defaming the country," he said.
Modi alleged that the Congress kept the Northeast away from both "dil (heart) and Delhi", ensuring that development did not reach the region's people, leaving them mired in violence and backwardness.
"Just as the Congress left the Northeast on its own, in a similar way, it played a major role in weakening the Barak Valley. When India became Independent, Congress allowed a border to be drawn that cut off Barak Valley's access to the sea," he alleged.
"Barak Valley, once known as an industrial centre, was stripped of its very strength. For decades after Independence, Congress governments remained in power, yet the region saw little development. Today, the BJP government is working to change that," he added.
Modi said connectivity is being developed in the Barak Valley to link it to other parts of the Northeast and West Bengal.
"It will be developed as a big logistics and trade hub of the region," he said, noting that Barak Valley is also at the centre of the government's Act East Policy and will be a bridge connecting India with Southeast Asia.
The PM alleged that Congress misguided Assam's youth into paths of violence and terrorism, while the BJP has ensured the state becomes a place of unlimited opportunities where they can reach for the sky.
"Where Congress stops thinking, we start working," he said, noting that the BJP's mantra is to give priority to those left behind in development.
"Assam's youth have immense opportunities in the semiconductor and technology sectors. The current era of peace and progress has been achieved through immense sacrifices, which must be protected from regressive forces," he said.
Modi said education, skill development, and healthcare have become the primary pillars of the government's development thrust.
Assam is rapidly emerging as a health hub, with AIIMS and cancer hospitals now forming a strong network, he said.
The PM said that during the Congress rule, the border villages were considered the "last villages", but his government views them as the nation's "first villages".
"The second phase of the Vibrant Village Program has begun from the Cachar district and is already bringing visible improvements to border areas. The historical neglect of these areas is now being replaced by proactive development and strategic focus," he said.
The PM said the state government has performed a "historical duty" by granting land rights to thousands of families of tea garden workers.
"Granting of land rights is not only a legal security that ensures dignity, but will now also allow these families to access central schemes for housing, electricity, and water," he said.
Referring to former PM Manmohan Singh, Modi said he represented Assam for 10 years but did not give a single paise to the farmers of the state, whereas the BJP has given them more than Rs 20,000 crore.
"The region's journey of progress is now unstoppable, supported by its rich language and culture. The development projects inaugurated today are just the beginning of a new era for the Barak Valley," he said.
At the programme, the PM took part in the 'bhoomi poojan' for the Rs 22,864-crore access-controlled expressway between Silchar in Cachar district and Shillong in Meghalaya, the first of its kind in the Northeast.
The 166-km four-lane greenfield high-speed corridor will reduce the distance between Guwahati and Silchar from 295 km to 252 km, cutting travel time from 8.5 hours to around 5 hours, officials said.
Modi also took part in the 'bhoomi poojan' for an elevated corridor on NH-306, from Trunk Road near Capital Point to Rangirkhari Point in Silchar, which will be constructed at Rs 565 crore.
This project aims to alleviate congestion on one of Silchar's busiest roads, improve links with neighbouring states such as Mizoram, Tripura and Manipur, and contribute to the economic development of the Barak Valley, officials said.
The PM also laid the foundation stone for the Rs 122-crore College of Agriculture at Patharkandi in Karimganj district.
These are part of projects worth Rs 47,800 crore that the PM unveiled in the state since Friday.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal were among those present at the programme.
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Trump rushed out of dinner event after shots fired; one arrested
Washington (PTI): US President Donald Trump and other top White House officials were evacuated unharmed from the annual dinner of White House correspondents after a man armed with multiple weapons fired shots outside the ballroom of the hotel.
The incident took place at around 8:34 PM local time when dinner was served. At that time, Trump was seen having a conversation with Weijia Jiang, the President of the White House Correspondents' Association, and mentalist Oz Pearlman, who was scheduled to present a show at the marquee event at the Washington Hilton here.
Secret Service officials and other security personnel covered the President, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President J D Vance, and the Second Lady Usha Vance, who were seated at the head table, and escorted them out of the ballroom.
Several guests at the dinner, including leaders across the political spectrum, journalists and other invitees, ducked under the table, apparently as a reflex reaction.
Putting up a brave face, President Trump later announced on Truth Social that the dinner would be rescheduled within 30 days.
“Boom, boom, boom, boom is all that I heard, and many guests ducked under the table,” a C-SPAN reporter at the dinner said.
Hours later, Trump addressed a press conference at the White House and announced that the security personnel had captured one person who hails from California.
“I heard a noise and sort of thought it was a tray going down. I've heard that many times. It was a pretty loud noise, and it was from quite far away. He (the attacker) hadn't reached the area at all. They really got him,” Trump told reporters, recalling the incident.
Trump said one security officer was shot at but saved as he was wearing a bulletproof vest.
Several protestors had lined up on the road outside the hotel, raising slogans against the Trump administration and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.
A CNN reporter who was outside the ballroom at the Washington Hilton said he saw a gunman opening fire just a few feet away. He was among the dozens of attendees who took cover as law enforcement swarmed the venue.
The suspect has been identified as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen from California.
Asked how Saturday’s incident impacts him as the US president, Trump told reporters he is in a dangerous job but that he is no “basket case.”
“I like not to think about it. I lead a pretty normal life, considering, you know, it’s a dangerous life. I think I handle it as well as it can be handled,” Trump said.
Trump has survived two assassination attempts over the past two years – first at a presidential election campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024, and later in Palm Beach, Florida, on September 15, 2024.
“I will say you had Republicans, Democrats, independents, conservatives, liberals, and progressives...everybody in that room, big crowd, record-setting crowd,” he said.
“We had some great work done by law enforcement, but in light of this evening's events, I ask that all Americans recommit with their hearts in resolving our differences peacefully,” Trump said.
