‘Insult to Assam youth’: CM mulls legal action over Karnataka Minister’s remark
Sarma also added that the Congress party’s silence over Priyank Kharge’s comment reflects its disregard for Assam
A file image of CM Sarma. (Photo:@himantabiswa/X)
Guwahati, Oct 27: A recent remark by Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge, son of All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Mallikarjun Kharge, suggesting that Assam "lacks talent for semiconductor projects", has sparked a political controversy.
Responding to Kharge's recent remarks, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the state government is considering legal action against the Congressman.
Speaking to press at the Bhogeshwar Baruah Sports Complex in Sarusajai on Monday, Sarma condemned the comment as "deeply insulting to the youth of Assam".
“He has insulted Assamese youth. Perhaps we might file a case against him. His remark is an insult to the entire youth of Assam,” the Chief Minister said.
The controversy arose when Kharge, while talking to the press, questioned why semiconductor industries were being set up in Assam and Gujarat instead of Bengaluru, asking, “I have raised this issue before. All the investment that is coming to Karnataka is being arm-twisted by the Centre to go to Assam and Gujarat. Is there any talent there?”
Reacting sharply, Sarma said the Congress party’s silence over Kharge’s comment reflects its disregard for Assam.
“Priyank Kharge is a first-class idiot. He has insulted Assamese youth, and the Congress has not even condemned him,” Sarma added.
Earlier, in September 2024, Kharge had claimed that “Assam doesn’t have an ecosystem of incubation suitable for a semiconductor plant". However, Sarma then had interpreted the statement as an acknowledgment of Assam’s progress.
“I feel validated that a minister from Karnataka is speaking about Assam in this way. We’ve worked relentlessly to position Assam among the top five most developed states, and his comments prove we are on the right path,” he had said.
Sarma had further expressed satisfaction that Assam, traditionally compared only with other northeastern states, is now being compared to Karnataka, one of India’s leading IT and technology hubs.