PM Narendra Modi's addresses rally in Meghalaya: Top quotes

PM Modi's rally at Shyamnagar village in Phulbari of West Garo Hills district was the first in Meghalaya by a Prime Minister.

Pic courtesy: Twitter/@narendramodi

Phulbari: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at a poll rally on Thursday, batted for the development of Meghalaya and said the Northeastern state was not safe in the hands of the Congress.

He appealed to the people to give the BJP a chance to ''serve the state'' and assured them that the party had the single agenda of development.

PM Modi's rally at Shyamnagar village in Phulbari of West Garo Hills district was the first in the state by a Prime Minister.

The 60-member Meghalaya Assembly is scheduled to go to the polls on February 27, 2018.

Here is my speech at the rally in Phulbari, Meghalaya. https://t.co/tude3MjpB5

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 22, 2018

Following are PM Modi's top quotes:

In a bid to reach out to the majority Christian population of Meghalaya, PM Modi said the Centre did not remain a ''silent spectator'' when missionaries and workers of minority communities were terrorised in conflict zones.

- ''For 50 years, there has been nothing. We ask you to give us five years and let us undo the damage of the last 50 years. Try us and if we fail, throw us out."

- ''Give us (BJP) a chance to serve the state. We will ensure good governance, guided by the philosophy of sabka saath, sabka vikas... I promise you that a BJP government in Meghalaya will account for every rupee spent."

- ''In five years, I assure you that we will bring the change the people want."

- ''Wherever I see, there are only people and to think that there can be such a huge support (to the BJP) in this small state is amazing. This is a call for parivartan in Meghalaya and the people are yearning for a change."

- ''We have not remained a silent spectator when Christian missionaries and minority workers were terrorised in conflict zones.''

- ''Father Alex Premkumar, a missionary working in Afghanistan, had been languishing in terrorist captivity for 18 long months and even his family had given up on his being alive, but we had not. Our government worked tirelessly to ensure his safe return and when I called his sister to inform her about his rescue, she could not believe that the prime minister was calling her and that her brother was alive."

- PM Modi urged the people to demand accountability from the Congress government in the state and spoke about the funds being released annually to the state for development purposes, most of which, he alleged, was not even utilised.

- ''Successive governments watched without taking action as funds were misappropriated every year. But when our government came to power in Delhi, we sought accountability.''

- ''After we asked for utilisation of the funds and later insisted on spot inspection of the project sites, the Congress government in Meghalaya is now reluctant to seek project funds from New Delhi."

- ''There is a long list of scams to the credit of the state government and Meghalaya is not safe in the hands of the Congress.''

- ''Earlier, the visits by central ministers were few and far between, but in the past four years, each month a Union minister has visited the region."

- ''We have planned to spend around Rs 180 crore for building the new Shillong airport. It will boost the possibilities of industrial development, besides generating employment opportunities for the common man."

- "No efforts were ever made to strengthen the sector. We will ensure that more and more tourists arrive here. This will generate income opportunities for the people.''

(With PTI inputs)