The Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee’s (APCC) criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent speech during his visit to Arunachal must be considered, as the party has raised some valid points. While the APCC has mostly been dormant in recent years after the BJP came to power, staying silent on state issues, this time it scrutinised the prime minister’s speech.
The APCC accused Prime Minister Modi of ignoring the pressing issues of Arunachal Pradesh during his visit, instead indulging in self-praise and attacking the Congress party. The APCC claimed that under BJP rule, very little new development had been initiated, and most of the ongoing projects were started by the Congress.
In response to the prime minister’s claims, the Congress party criticised the BJP-led government for its failure to address unemployment, inadequate infrastructure, incomplete projects, and the neglect of border security and flood control in the state. These criticisms are not without merit, as the state continues to struggle with providing gainful employment to educated youths, and the border areas remain neglected with lack of infrastructure.
The APCC also accused the BJP of turning the prime minister’s official visit into a political campaign, using state funds for BJP rallies, and turning the event into an election propaganda platform. This accusation may not be far from the truth. The APCC seemed particularly upset that the prime minister did not acknowledge the pivotal role played by earlier prime ministers. The party hit back by recalling the longstanding political and developmental contributions of Congress leadership, starting from the NEFA days, in shaping the modern state of Arunachal. While an attempt has been made, the Congress is nowhere near winning the war of words. The party will have to step up if it has to compete with the BJP’s rhetoric.