Sivasagar (Assam) [India], April 26 (ANI): Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, on Friday said that none of the terror perpetrators of the Pahalgam terror attack will be spared, adding that every citizen stands with the Modi government's resolve.

'Under the strong leadership of PM Narendra Modi, there is no compromise with those who murder innocent people. The Modi government will hit hard against terror, and every terrorist must answer for the loss of innocent lives. Everyone will be identified and punished for their heinous act in Pahalgam. The people of the country are sad about the shocking incident. The whole country is standing with the families of the victims. The stand of our government on terror, under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi ji, has been clear -- it is uncompromising and the terrorists will be dealt with appropriately. The PM has already clearly stated - those responsible for this attack, the terrorists and the planners, will be punished severely than they can imagine,' Sonowal said.

'Strict action will be taken against Pakistan so that it never dares to use terrorism against India again. Every citizen stands with the Modi Government's resolve. This is a united resolve of every Indian. We will fight terrorism with full strength. The resolve of new Bharat against terror is unwavering, unapologetic and uncompromising,' he added.

This comes amid uproar over terrorists attacking tourists at Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam on April 22, killing 25 Indian nationals and one Nepali citizen while leaving several others injured.

The Union Minister continued to campaign for NDA candidates contesting the forthcoming Panchayat Elections, addressing election campaign meetings in Sonariati (Majuli), Na-Pukhuri (Sivasagar), and Gajpuria (Dibrugarh) on Friday.

The senior BJP leader has been campaigning for the NDA candidates in the upcoming Panchayat elections.

To carry forward Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of 'strengthening the foundation of the rural economy', Sonowal appealed to the people to make a strong decision in favour of the BJP-led alliance in the Panchayat polls.

'Under the BJP, there is a new wave of development in every village, a new dawn of growth and progress. The welfare measures implemented by the BJP-led double-engine government have benefited people across all strata, ushering in a new horizon in rural areas and paving the way for a self-reliant countryside. If Panchayats are strong, the country will be strong; if the BJP-led alliance is strong, the people will be strong,' Sarbananda Sonowal said, urging people to realise the full potential and prosperity of rural Assam.

Sarbananda Sonowal highlighted how rural transformation and empowerment have begun under the strong leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Speaking at Majuli, Sarbananda Sonowal said, 'The efforts of the people of Majuli to build a strong district are truly commendable. I had the opportunity to represent this society. With the good governance of the BJP-led government since 2016, Majuli has undergone a continuous transformation. I am delighted to meet the people of this river island district once again. The development of rural Majuli has reached a new peak in the past decade under constant focus and support from the BJP-led governments.'

He further criticised Congress and said that they have become a rudderless party, clueless and unaware of the public consciousness.

'Congress can no longer stand tall. They are now largely out of the public consciousness. They have become a rudderless party, clueless and unaware of the public consciousness. They can deliver big talks, but they cannot take responsibility for development. If they could, we would have seen it in their 55 years of mis-governance. Congress, during its decades of rule, only gave the hollow slogan 'Garibi Hatao' but did nothing concrete. They had neither honest policies nor honest leaders, nor a character committed to the nation. They lacked patriotism and were only focused on the development of their own families, which is why they failed to develop the country during their tenure,' Sonowal said.

Highlighting the role played by the Narendra Modi-led government in strengthening the country's grassroots, Sarbananda Sonowal said, 'India has around 7 lakh villages, and Assam alone has 26,000 villages, including tea garden areas.'

'To ensure equitable development across the diverse terrain of Assam - its hills and plains - the BJP-led alliance has already taken several key steps. Every household in Assam should strive to become self-reliant. This is the goal of the Panchayati Raj system. Only if Panchayats perform strongly will every household in every ward benefit from government schemes with dignity. Mahatma Gandhi spoke of Gram Swaraj - only if every village, every town, and every city in India becomes self-reliant will the country become strong,' he added.

He further said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, the country has witnessed transformative changes in just 10 years.

'The most deprived and poor sections, both in villages and cities, have seen significant improvement. Modi ji brought everyone together - people of all languages, ethnicities, and communities - and achieved this transformation through correct planning, timely policies, and hard work. He cleansed and reformed India's governance system, which Congress's corruption and misrule had weakened. Today, thanks to a transparent and organised governance model, India has emerged as the 5th largest economy in the world and will soon become the 3rd largest. Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji has also decided to develop Sivasagar as a Heritage City and played a key role in getting Charaideo Maidam recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, giving Sivasagar and Charaideo global recognition,' he said.

The panchayat polls in Assam will be held in two phases on May 2 and May 7. The counting of votes will be held on May 11. (ANI)