Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday claimed that those in power after Independence could not understand the significance of places of worship and set a trend of being ashamed of their own culture for political reasons.

Addressing a massive rally in Guwahati after unveiling projects worth Rs 11,600 crore, Modi said that no country can progress by erasing its past.

"However the situation has changed in the last 10 years," he said.

Modi said that the projects he unveiled will strengthen connectivity not only in the Northeast, but also the rest of South Asia.

He said that peace has returned to Assam in the last 10 years and over 7,000 people have put down arms and returned to the mainstream.

"A record number of tourists have visited the region in the past decade," he added.

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