NE CMs not getting PM's appointment even after 45 days: Tarun Gogoi

NEW DELHI: Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi claiming that he has not granted an appointment to the chief ministers of northeastern states for 45 days, and said Modi was "not serious" about development of the region.

Addressing a press conference here, Gogoi said Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar had sought an appointment with the Prime Minister on behalf of the eight chief ministers of the region about 45 days ago.

"It has been 45 days but appointment has not been given yet. The Prime Minister and his cabinet colleagues talk very nicely. They are nicer than our (UPA) ministers. But they only talk nicely and do nothing. They are not serious," he said.

Gogoi alleged the Prime Minister visited many countries in last one year seeking foreign investment but not a single project has come to the Northeast.

"I think he forgets about Northeast when he is in foreign land. I doubt whether he thinks much about India when he is in foreign (land)," he said.

The Chief Minister said Modi had visited China but he did not talk about the staple visa (given to people of Arunachal Pradesh by China) issue. Nor did he talk about the issue of construction of a dam on Brahmaputra by China.

"Modi did not take us along when he visited Bangladesh even though we share borders with Bangladesh. He did not raise the issue of illegal immigration from Bangladesh. There is vast difference between what he preaches and what he practises," he said.