Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal characterized the Opposition Congress in Assam as an “exhausted party” lacking grassroots support, asserting that its leaders only engage with the media without genuine commitment to societal needs. During a media conference in Dibrugarh, he dismissed the potential for Congress to regain power, highlighting the BJP-led government’s actions against illegal immigration and its efforts to ensure security for various communities, including Scheduled Tribes (STs), Scheduled Castes (SCs), and Other Backward Classes (OBCs). Sonowal emphasized the protection of land, property, dignity, and heritage under the NDA government, expressing confidence that youth and students in the Northeast believe in the growth opportunities offered by BJP governance.
He stated that India has transitioned under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership from a “defensive and hesitant trade posture” to a globally assertive and strategically engaged player. Sonowal cited the finalization of nine major free trade agreements in the last six years, which provide preferential access to 38 developed nations across Europe, the Gulf, Oceania, and North America. He criticized the Congress party for reducing trade policy to defensiveness and policy paralysis, asserting that they lacked faith in Indian industry and agriculture’s global competitiveness. Under Modi’s leadership, Sonowal claimed that India now negotiates from a position of strength, achieving better tariff terms and safeguarding core interests compared to the Congress’s narrow political thinking. He noted that this government has demonstrated the ability to access global markets without compromising farmers’ welfare, in sharp contrast to Congress, which he accused of creating fear and opposing reforms, infrastructure, and transformative trade agreements.
Additionally, Sonowal pointed out that Congress’s pessimism has stifled growth and trade prospects, specifically mentioning the positive impact on Assam’s tea industry through a trade agreement with the United States. He concluded that Modi has proven the opposition wrong by opening markets worth trillions of dollars, generating significant employment, empowering micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and protecting sensitive sectors.