Silchar (Assam) [India], March 14 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched a sharp attack on the Congress party, declaring that the nation is punishing them for their past actions and that they are poised to hit a 'century of defeats' and are resorting to offence against the nation.

Addressing the gathering after he performed Bhoomi Poojan of the Shillong-Silchar Corridor, PM Modi stated, 'You have ousted the Congress from Assam. Today, every state in the country is teaching the Congress a lesson. The Congress is losing election after election. In the near future, Congress is poised to hit a century of defeats. Driven by the desperation of defeat, the Congress has launched an offensive against the nation itself.'

Referring to the shirtless protest by Indian Youth Congress members at Bharat Mandapam during the AI Summit last month, he said, 'In a bid to discredit the AI summit, the Congress staged a bizarre protest--tearing their own clothes in public. It appears the Congress has nothing left to do now but tear its own clothes in desperation,' further emphasising that the entire nation condemned the protest.

PM Modi contrasted the current political climate under the BJP-led government with the tenure of the previous government, accusing the Congress of trapping Assam's youth in a 'vicious cycle of violence and terrorism'.

'The Congress turned Assam into a laboratory for the 'divide and rule' policy. Today, the youth of Assam have an open sky of opportunities before them,' he stated.

Accusing the Congress of neglecting the North-East for decades after independence, he said that the region was kept away from the country's mainstream.

'The Congress party had left the North East to its own fate. When the country attained independence, the Congress permitted the drawing of the boundary in such a manner that the Barak Valley's vital link to the sea was completely severed. The Barak Valley- once renowned as a major trade route and an industrial hub-was stripped of its very strength. Even after independence, Congress governments remained in power for decades; yet, nothing substantial was done to foster the development of the Barak Valley,' he stated.

Highlighting that the foundation stone laying ceremony for the Shillong-Silchar Corridor was worth Rs. 24,000 crore, he remarked that Congress won't even be able to write it down if asked.

'Just ask the Congress leaders about this. Hand them a pen and paper, and ask them to write down Rs 24,000 crore, and they won't even be able to do it,' said PM Modi.

PM Modi emphasised that the BJP-led double-engine government in Assam is working to transform and re-establish the Barak Valley as a major hub for trade and commerce.

He remarked, 'Where the Congress folks' minds hit a dead end, that's where our work begins. This will be the first access control high-speed corridor in the North-East. This isn't just a highway project; it's the end of decades of waiting for the people of the North-East.'

Earlier, Prime Minister Modi performed Bhoomi Poojan of the Shillong-Silchar Corridor, the first access-controlled Greenfield four-lane High-Speed Corridor in North-East India.

The 166 km corridor, with an investment of around Rs 22,860 crore, will significantly improve connectivity between Meghalaya and Assam.

The project will reduce the distance between Guwahati and Silchar and cut travel time from 8.5 hours to approximately 5 hours, boosting economic growth and cross-border trade in the region, according to a release.

The Prime Minister also performed Bhoomi Poojan for an elevated corridor on NH-306 from Trunk Road near Capital Point to Rangirkhari Point in Silchar (Phase I).

The project will decongest one of Silchar's busiest roads, improve connectivity with neighbouring states such as Mizoram, Tripura and Manipur, and contribute to the economic development of the Barak Valley.(ANI)