Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing a gathering in Guwahati on Friday, hit out at the Opposition saying that credit and power-hungry people whose only ambition is to lord over the country have done much damage to our people.
He further said that the BJP is in the service of the nation and its people and commitment and devotion to the country are at the core of its efforts.
Taking pot-shots at the Congress, he said, "Whenever I talk about the development of the Northeast over the last nine years, some people get disturbed because they can't claim credit for the growth in the state."
"They complain that they, too, ruled the country for decades. Power and credit-hungry leaders, whose only ambition is to lord over the country, have done much damage to our people," he added.
The Prime Minister further underlined his attachment to the people of Assam.
He said, "We work with the spirit of being your servants. That is why Northeast does not seem far to us and the feeling of belongingness remains regardless of where we are. Today, people in the Northeast have come forward and taken ownership of their of development. They are moving forward with the mantra of development."
"Today, the Northeast has got its first AIIMS, and Assam has got three new medical colleges. In the last nine years, we have worked on infrastructure projects, which is why everyone here talks about connectivity-related infrastructure projects," he added.
Further, pointing the gun towards the Opposition, the Prime Minister said, “Instead of catering to a particular vote bank, we are focused on reducing the difficulties of the people of the country. We want to ensure that our sisters do not have to travel far for treatment. We are woking to ensure that no poor person has to postpone his treatment for want of money."
He added, "Due to the policies of previous governments, we had less number of doctors and medical professionals. It was a huge roadblock to accessing quality healthcare services in the country.
Involing the transformation of the country's healthcare sector, PM Modi said, "In the 10 years before 2014, only about 150 medical colleges were built in the country. However, in the last 9 years, about 300 new medical colleges have been built by our government. MBBS seats in the country have also doubled to more than one lakh in the last nine years."
"I understand that having no money for treatment is a big worry for the poor, and therefore, we launched the Ayushman Bharat Yojana. I know that expensive medicines are a big concern for the poor and the middle class, and therefore, our govt opened more than 9,000 Jan Aushadhi Kendras for access to affordable medicines," added PM Modi.
Earlier today, PM Modi inaugurated the much-awaited All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at Changsari on the outskirts of Guwahati city in Assam.
The 950-bedded hospital was built at a cost of Rs 1,126 crores. The foundation stone was laid by the Prime Minister in May 2017.
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and other dignitaries were also present during the inaugural ceremony.
During the ceremony, he also virtually inaugurated three medical colleges at Nalbari, Nagaon, and Kokrajhar.
The medical college in Nalbari was built at a total cost of Rs 615.47 crores, while Rs 599.80 crore was spent for the construction of the medical college in Nagaon.
In Kokrajhar, the medical college was built at a cost of Rs 535.87 crores.
PM Modi had arrived in Guwahati earlier today. He was accorded a warm welcome at the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
