On the day of the FIFA World Cup final in Qatar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made the decision to speak in the "context of football" in the lead-up to the assembly elections in three northeastern states, claiming that, like in the game, the BJP government in the last eight years has shown the "red card" to all barriers to the development of the region.
Speaking at a rally Modi said, “I can say from Shillong that today our eyes might be on the game being played in Qatar and on the foreign teams in the field, but I have faith in the youth power of my country. Therefore, I can say with confidence that the day is not far when we will celebrate such a festival in India and cheer for the tricolour. ”
"It is a coincidence that I am here among football fans on the football pitch today, while the football World Cup final is going place. On that side, a football match is in progress, and we are vying for advancement on this football field. Although the game is taking place in Qatar, the enthusiasm here is just as great.”
"And friends, why not talk in the context of football, use football as an example, while I am on the football field and football passion is pervasive? We are all aware that in football, a player will receive a red card and be ejected if he violates the rules of sportsmanship. Similarly, in the last eight years, we have shown a red card to many obstacles related to the development of the northeast. We are making sincere efforts to exclude corruption, discrimination, nepotism, violence, pendency of projects, vote bank politics,” Modi said.
Slamming the opposition, he said their governments were in power for a long time but had a divisive thinking for the northeast and now “we have come up with the intention of DEVINE (Development Initiative for North East Region). Be it different communities, or different regions, we are doing away with every kind of division.”
“Today, development lanes rather than conflict borders are being built in the northeast. Numerous organisations have chosen the path of enduring peace during the past eight years rather than the path of bloodshed. To ensure that Afspa is not necessary in the northeast, the situation is constantly being rectified in partnership with the states,” he said.