Guwahati, April 18 (IANS) BJP President J. P. Nadda has asserted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi took decisive steps to bring peace in the Bodoland area of Assam by signing the Bodo peace accord.

Nadda was campaigning for the BJP ally United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) in Kokrajhar on Thursday.

He said, “Today, the entire Bodoland area is peaceful because the Prime Minister has taken the initiative to sign the Bodo peace accord. More than 1,500 cadres of proscribed groups surrendered their arms after the peace accord making it one of the most important peace accords in the country.”

The senior BJP leader also mentioned that PM Modi has given government projects worth at least Rs 1,500 crore in the Bodoland area.

“The Prime Minister has given utmost importance to the development of the Northeast. He has taken many initiatives like building new national highways, and airports to bring the northeastern region to the mainstream of the country,” he added.

Nadda further said that the Prime Minister has implemented the ‘Act East’ policy which has catered to fast-paced development in this region. He has outlined a slew of government initiatives to bring prosperity to the Northeast.

Meanwhile, the senior BJP leader also alleged that Congress was involved in divisive politics in Assam and that the grand old party failed to bring peace to the region.

“We have lifted the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from 70 per cent of areas in the region. This is a major step towards bringing peace in the Northeast,” he added.

Nadda also claimed that India will become the third largest economy in the world if PM Narendra Modi is voted to power for the third consecutive term.

He said, “Our country has seen substantial economic progress under PM Modi’s tenure. In the coming days, India can lead the whole world.”

The BJP President appealed to the people to vote in large numbers for making Narendra Modi the Prime Minister of the country for the third time.

Notably, UPPL has been contesting the Kokrajhar Lok Sabha seat which will go to polls in the third phase on May 7.