Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing critique of the Congress party’s historical neglect of Arunachal Pradesh and the broader Northeast, accusing it of sidelining the region due to its small population and limited parliamentary representation.
“Although Arunachal is where the sun’s rays fall first, it took decades for the rays of development to reach here. Congress thought: so few people, only two Lok Sabha seats—why pay attention?” Modi said at a rally in Indira Gandhi Park, Itanagar.
He called this mindset “irresponsible” and claimed it inflicted serious developmental harm on the region. Modi emphasized that his government’s guiding principle is ‘Nation First’, not electoral arithmetic.
Infrastructure Push
Modi unveiled ₹5,125.37 crore worth of projects, including:
- Tato-I Hydropower Project (186 MW, ₹1,750 crore)
- Heo Hydropower Project (240 MW, ₹1,939 crore)
- Tawang Convention Centre (₹145.37 crore, under PM-DevINE)
- Additional projects worth ₹1,290 crore in connectivity, health, and fire safety
He also highlighted that Arunachal received ₹1 lakh crore in central taxes over the last decade—16 times more than under Congress rule.
Civic and Cultural Framing
Modi described Arunachal as the “land of patriotism”, likening its spirit to the saffron of the national flag. He reiterated his commitment to last-mile delivery, ministerial presence, and border village upliftment, turning “last villages” into “first villages”.