During a speech in Assam on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi strongly criticized the main opposition party, the Congress, saying that it was abusing people and putting its “vote bank” ahead of the country’s interests. The comments were made while he was opening multiple development projects in the Darang district of the state.
The Prime Minister’s speech was very moving. He talked about a recent incident over verbal abuse and an AI-generated movie that was made to hurt him and his late mother. He said, “I will swallow the poison” of insults, comparing himself to Lord Shiva. He also said that he feels grief when people insult his late mother. “The people are my God. If I don’t show them my anguish, where will I do it? He responded, “They are my masters, my gods, and my remote control.” The Prime Minister has used the phrase “remote control” in the past to attack the Gandhi family’s supposed dominance over the Congress leadership.
Mr. Modi also brought up a fight from 2019 by saying that Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge disrespected Assam’s cultural icon, Bhupen Hazarika, after he won the Bharat Ratna. The Congress party has already explained the comments, but the Prime Minister’s decision to bring them up again is seen as a way to get support in the region that is going to vote.
The Prime Minister didn’t hold back on national security, saying that the Congress party is in line with Pakistan’s plans. He said, “Now, our forces are doing Operation Sindoor, which is getting rid of terror from every part of Pakistan. But the people of Congress stand with the Pakistan army.” He also said that Congress was letting “infiltrators” in to get more votes.
The Congress party hasn’t made a new, direct statement about this speech yet, but its officials have already defended their stance on the AI video, saying they didn’t mean to be disrespectful. Himanta Biswa Sarma, the Chief Minister of Assam and a former Congress politician, has also said that the Opposition is making the issue political and won’t apologize for the original insults against the Prime Minister.