E-Paper
PM to youth: Eschew violence
Manmohan said that continuing armed struggle in the state affected the entire Northeast region and its development.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday appealed to misguided youths in Assam to eschew violence saying the continuing armed struggle in the state affected the entire Northeast region and its development.
"Armed struggle should be avoided by the misguided youths (insurgents) for all round development of the region. They should give up violence and return to the mainstream," Singh said addressing a Congress election rally in Tezpur.
"If armed strugle continues in Assam, the entire Northeast is affected," he pointed out.
Assuring that no genuine Indian citizen would be harassed in the process of detection of illegal migrants, Singh said border fencing work was on to check infiltration in the state.
The Prime Minister also said the Congress under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi had been successful in bringing about progress and development in Assam and other states where the party was in power.
Soliciting votes, he assured the people that schemes under the Bharat Nirman Yojana would help solve the unemployment problem in the state and ensure development of both rural and urban areas.
Under Bharat Nirman Yojana, the Prime Minister said, empahsis would be given to education and health, particularly of women and children.
The Prime Minister urged the people of Assam to give another opportunity to the Centre and the state government to jointly work towards the goal of restoring peace in the state.
Criticising both the opposition BJP and the regional Asom Gana Parishad, Singh described the saffron party as communal and said the AGP, during its two earlier terms, could not do anything substantial for the development of the state.
Singh said the Centre and the state government would work jointly for the upliftment of Tezpur, famed for its tea industry.
Earlier, during the last leg of his campaign in Assam, Singh briefly addressed another poll rally at Donkamokam in ethnic violence-hit Karbi Anglong district.
He assured that a special economic package would be given to the victims, including the next of kin of those killed or injured besides those whose houses were burnt.
The Prime Minister said the Congress ruled District Autonomous Council, which submitted a memorandum to him, would take up measures to improve road connectivity, power supply, education and health.
