Guwahati, July 14 -- Congress leader Rajesh Kumar Sethi, the National Coordinator of the AICC Minority Department and in-charge of Manipur, slammed Union Minister Kiren Rijiju for urging the people of the Northeast to be "grateful" to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for basic development and job opportunities.

Responding to Rijiju's remarks made during the Rozgar Mela event in Dimapur, Sethi issued a statement on Sunday, describing the minister's comment as "deeply problematic" and a reflection of the BJP's "patronising mindset" toward the region.

Sethi stressed that the Prime Minister's duty includes ensuring roads, employment, connectivity, clean drinking water, and safety for all citizens, not as acts of generosity, but as constitutiona...