Itanagar, Sep 23: A day after the Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of using his Itanagar rally to “attack Congress and glorify himself,” the State unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has strongly refuted the charges, calling them “politically motivated and misleading.”
In a statement on Tuesday, the state BJP said the Prime Minister’s September 22 visit was “historic,” as he laid the foundation stones of development projects worth over Rs 5,100 crore that would significantly boost connectivity and growth in the frontier state.
“The rally was a people’s programme, not a government-sponsored show. Citizens voluntarily joined to celebrate the launch of Next-Gen GST reforms,” the party said, rejecting Congress’s allegations of misuse of government machinery and forced attendance.
The BJP further claimed that the Congress, despite ruling the state for decades, left behind “a legacy of failure, corruption, and neglect,” and cited poor road, air, healthcare, and education infrastructure as evidence.
It highlighted the completion of the Hollongi Greenfield Airport, airport upgrades at Tezu, Pasighat and Ziro, expansion of rail links, the Trans-Arunachal Highway, tunnels, and road access to remote constituencies like Tali and Vijaynagar under the Modi government. The party also pointed to the sanction of Rs 45,000 crore for the Frontier Highway, healthcare and education upgrades, and the Vibrant Villages Programme.
On the other hand, the APCC had on Monday accused the BJP of “taking credit for the Congress legacy” and turning the official event into a political platform. APCC president Bosiram Siram said people had expected concrete announcements from the Prime Minister but received only “self-praise and hollow rhetoric”.
The Congress underscored its role in Arunachal’s political and developmental journey, crediting Jawaharlal Nehru’s NEFA policy, Indira Gandhi’s decision to grant Union Territory status in 1972, Rajiv Gandhi’s move to confer Statehood in 1987, and Dr Manmohan Singh’s Rs 24,000 crore special economic package in 2008. It also listed institutions like Rajiv Gandhi University, NERIST, the Trans-Arunachal Highway, Hollongi Airport, and hydropower projects as contributions of successive Congress governments.
While the BJP said “people are now witnessing real progress, not mere announcements,” the APCC countered that unemployment, poor infrastructure, flood neglect, and Chinese incursions remain unaddressed under BJP rule.
“The history of Arunachal is testimony that Congress governments built every major institution and infrastructure, while the BJP merely takes credit by inaugurating or laying foundation stones,” the APCC said.
“If PM Modi has truly transformed Arunachal, why are our youths migrating for jobs and border villages still lacking basic facilities?” the party questioned.