Prime Minister Narendra Modi today unleashed a blistering attack on the Congress party for supporting infiltration and allowing encroachments in the state of Assam during its rule. He expressed concern over the major challenge of protecting the state’s identity and preserving its culture. He was speaking at a public rally in Kaliabor, Assam, during his two-day visit to the state.
PM Modi asked people to stay alert of Congress, highlighting that the party and its allies protect the infiltrators and seek their support to come to power. He said, “Just to form the government and win some votes, they handed over your land to infiltrators… Infiltrators pose a great threat to Assam as well as the country. You need to beware of Congress…”
He further said, “For decades, Congress formed governments in Assam and during this period, encroachments kept increasing continuously. And what did these people do with these encroachments? They had no respect for Assam’s history, culture or our faith. That is why encroachments happened everywhere, wildlife corridors were blocked, illegal hunting increased, smuggling and other crimes grew…”
Assam: Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, “You need to be very alert about Congress. Congress has one strategy: protect the infiltrators and gain power with their support. Across the country, Congress and its allies are doing the same…” pic.twitter.com/a7Ymp7GnfI
— IANS (@ians_india) January 18, 2026
He lauded the current Himanta Biswa Sarma-led BJP government in the state for strict handling of encroachments, protecting the state’s forests, historic and cultural sites and lands from illegal occupation. He added, “We strengthened the security arrangements from scratch, provided modern resources to the Forest Department, empowered the monitoring system and increased the participation of local women in forest protection. The positive results have also become evident…”
‘India has lost faith in Congress,’ says PM Modi
PM Modi claimed that the country has lost faith in the Congress party as it lacks a development agenda. He highlighted that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has emerged as the first choice of the citizens of the country. He said the people’s faith has increased in the BJP over the past one and a half years.
“…The country is continuously rejecting the negative politics of the Congress… BJP has become the first choice of everyone in the country… In the last 1-1.5 years, the country’s faith in the BJP has been continuously on the rise,” said PM Modi.
#WATCH | Kaliabor, Assam | PM Narendra Modi says, “… Congress was born in Mumbai, but today, Congress stands in the 4th or 5th position in the city… Congress has lost the faith of the country because it has no development agenda…”
Source: DD pic.twitter.com/xgbkGxbmv0
— ANI (@ANI) January 18, 2026
PM Modi hails BJP’s big win in Maha polls
PM Modi today restated the BJP’s historic victory in the Municipal Corporation Election of Maharashtra. “… Congress was born in Mumbai, but today, Congress stands in the 4th or 5th position in the city… Two days ago, municipal corporation election results for major cities in Maharashtra were held. One of the world’s biggest municipal corporations, Mumbai, gave a historic mandate to the BJP, making the party win for the first time…”
“In Mumbai, the city where the Congress was born, it has now been reduced to the fourth or fifth position. In Maharashtra, where the Congress ruled for decades, the party has almost completely collapsed…”
He also said that the Congress would receive a “resounding response” from the people of Assam as well. PM Modi explained how Congress organised marches and rallies to protect the infiltrators in Bihar, but the people of Bihar wiped the Congress clean off the slate. He stressed that now it’s the turn of the people of Assam to reject the Congress party.
While addressing the public meeting, PM Modi congratulated social media influencers across the country for spreading the Bodo tradition to the masses through their posts on social media. He said, “From yesterday, I have been seeing how this excellent dance of the Bodo tradition has taken over social media.”
Also, PM Modi, during his speech, noticed people carrying hand-drawn portraits and sketches of him. From the stage itself, he asked his team to collect the paintings from the audience members and bring them to him. He said, “Here, some friends have come holding pictures and are standing like this, they will get tired. Please send them; I will collect them now. If your address is written on the back, my letter will surely reach you.”
#WATCH | Kaliabor, Assam | PM Narendra Modi asks his team to collect paintings and photographs of himself brought by the audience members during his public meeting.
Source: DD pic.twitter.com/x1g44v4UHJ
— ANI (@ANI) January 18, 2026
PM Modi flags off two Amrit Bharat trains, lays foundation of Kaziranga elevated corridor
At the event, he flagged off two new Amrit Bharat Express trains, the Guwahati (Kamakhya)-Rohtak Amrit Bharat Express and the Dibrugarh-Lucknow (Gomti Nagar) Amrit Bharat Express in Assam. Also, PM Modi performed ‘Bhoomi Poojan’ of the Kaziranga Elevated Corridor Project (4-laning of Kaliabor–Numaligarh section of NH‑715), worth over ₹6,950 crore. He said that these trains will connect Assam’s traders to new markets, allow students easier access to educational opportunities and make travel to different parts of the country simpler for the people of Assam.
#WATCH | Kaliabor, Assam | PM Narendra Modi flags off 2 New Amrit Bharat Express trains – Guwahati (Kamakhya)-Rohtak Amrit Bharat Express and Dibrugarh-Lucknow (Gomti Nagar) Amrit Bharat Express.
Source: DD pic.twitter.com/k3kzherA4t
— ANI (@ANI) January 18, 2026
PM Modi highlighted that when Assam progresses, the North-East progresses and when the North-East progresses, India progresses. He siad, “Assam is giving direction to the activist policy. Our efforts, along with the trust of the people of Assam, will take the entire North-East to new heights…”