PM visited Northeast 60 times: Himanta Sarma amid no-trust debate on Manipur

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Northeast "60 times" and asserted that he travelled to every nook and corner of the region.

Addressing a press conference in Guwahati, Sarma said PM Modi knew everything about the Northeast and that no one should question his love and affection towards the people.

"We know that he (PM Modi) is in command. You must see the wisdom of the Prime Minister when he will answer the no-confidence motion. You will realise what is there inside his mind and heart. So, if anybody questions his love and affection towards the people of the Northeast, I will say hold on, PM Modi has visited the Northeast 60 times," Sarma said.

Himanta Sarma's remarks came at a time when the Opposition moved a no-confidence motion in Parliament seeking a reply from PM Modi on the Manipur violence. PM Modi will reply to the debate on Thursday.

Manipur has been gripped by ethnic violence for over three months and over 160 people have been killed.

The Assam Chief Minister asserted that it was the Prime Minister who ensured broad connectivity within the Northeast. He accused the Congress of not strengthening connectivity through road and rail during its tenure.

"Why didn't the Congress convert metre-gauge tracks into broad-gauge tracks? Why didn't they connect the capitals of the Northeastern states through the road network?" he asked.

Sarma alleged that Congress has blood on its hands in the Northeast, and none of its Prime Ministers gave any healing touch to the region in the last 75 years. He said the distress in the region was due to the faulty policies of the grand old party.

"Congress's hands, as far as the Northeast is concerned, are full of blood. No Congress Prime Minister extended any healing touch to the region in the last 75 years," he claimed.

The Assam Chief Minister accused the party of creating what he said was a "sad situation" in the Northeast and said it should analyse why Manipur was ravaged by violence due to its "wrong policies".

Ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki communities in Manipur since the past three months has claimed over 160 lives.

Sarma also said the Manipur violence cannot be solved with the Army and Assam Rifles, but will require reaching out to the people for a permanent solution.

"I appeal to the Congress not to mislead the world. They must apologise for what's happening in the Northeast,” he further said.