In a fiery address in Guwahati, Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the Indian National Congress of almost participating in a conspiracy to cede Assam to East Pakistan before India's independence. Speaking on Saturday, December 20, 2025, Modi alleged that the Congress party was prepared to join the Muslim League and the British in a plan that would have made Assam part of undivided Bengal or East Pakistan.

Modi stated that the "sin" of Congress had roots stretching back before India gained independence. He claimed that the Muslim League and the British were laying the groundwork for India's partition and that a scheme was devised to incorporate Assam into East Pakistan. According to Modi, Congress was on the verge of becoming complicit in this scheme.

The Prime Minister credited Gopinath Bordoloi, Assam's first Chief Minister, with opposing the plot within his own party and preventing Assam from being separated from the country. Modi asserted that Bordoloi stood against his own party to oppose the conspiracy to end the identity of Assam and saved Assam from being separated from the country. The Atal Bihari Vajpayee government recognized Bordoloi's contributions by awarding him the Bharat Ratna.

Modi also targeted Congress for neglecting the development of Assam and the Northeast for decades. He alleged that the Congress provided protection to infiltrators who grabbed forests and land, threatening the security and identity of Assam. He added that his government is correcting the mistakes of the grand old party. He also defended the Election Commission of India's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, saying that the exercise is aimed at ensuring that “infiltrators” are not included in voting lists.

The Prime Minister's statements come amid anxieties over potential migration triggered by unrest in Bangladesh, following the assassination of a youth leader, with groups advocating for a "Greater Bangladesh" that would include Assam. Modi's message emphasized vigilance against infiltration, which political analysts believe is heightened by linking East Pakistan's history to current cross-border issues.

Modi made these claims while addressing a public rally after inaugurating the new terminal building of the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport in Guwahati. He said the new terminal will boost the local economy and encourage tourism. He also lauded the emphasis on technological innovations, as well as the connect with nature and sustainability.

Modi also claimed that the region’s demography was altered, with infiltrators resorting to encroachment. He said that the present state government under Himanta Biswa Sarma is working diligently to free Assam’s resources from illegal and anti-national encroachments. He criticized the Congress for allegedly neglecting Assam's development and prioritizing vote-bank politics over the interests of indigenous communities. He stated that the BJP government has been correcting mistakes the Congress kept making for decades in the Northeast.