Guwahati, April 1: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has strongly condemned a remark by Bangladesh’s Md Younis, who referred to the seven sister states of Northeast India as landlocked and positioned Bangladesh as their “guardian of ocean access.”

“This remark underscores the persistent vulnerability narrative associated with India’s strategic ‘Chicken’s Neck’ corridor,” Sarma said, adding that such views have historically been echoed by internal elements within India who have dangerously suggested severing this critical passageway to physically isolate the Northeast from the mainland.

Sarma stressed the urgent need to develop stronger railway and road networks both underneath and around the Chicken’s Neck corridor. He also emphasized exploring alternative routes that connect the Northeast to the rest of India while bypassing this narrow stretch.

“Though this may pose significant engineering challenges, it is achievable with determination and innovation. Such provocative statements by Md Younis must not be taken lightly, as they reflect deeper strategic considerations and longstanding agendas,” he stated.

Md Younis made the controversial comment in a social media post, where he encouraged China to establish an economic base in Bangladesh, citing Dhaka’s access to the sea. “The seven states of India, the eastern part of India, are landlocked and have no way to reach out to the nation. We are the only guardian of the ocean for this region. This opens up a huge possibility. This could be an extension of the Chinese economy—build things, produce things, market things, and bring it out to the whole rest of the world,” Younis wrote.

The Congress party called Younis’s statement “very dangerous” for the security of the Northeast and accused the Indian government of neglecting the region, including Manipur. “Bangladesh is inviting China to encircle India. This attitude of the Bangladesh government is very dangerous for the security of our Northeast region,” said Congress’s head of media and publicity, Pawan Khera, in a post on X in Hindi.

Muhammad Yunus spoke on this during his trip to China last week.

Read: ‘Cong must beg for forgiveness’: BJP’s Dilip Saikia rips into opposition ahead of Rabha Hasong polls

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