Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Karnataka IT-BT Minister Priyank Kharge have been engaged in a spat over the last few days that began over the location of semiconductor companies.
| Photo Credit: ANI/Special Arrangement
The social media sparring between Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Karnataka IT-BT Minister Priyank Kharge continued on Tuesday (October 28, 2025), with Mr. Kharge terming Mr. Sarma’s comments “politically rabid.” The spat that began over the location of semiconductor companies has over the last few days taken several twists and turns.
Citing an X post by Mr. Sarma that was posted in March 2024, Mr. Kharge pointed out that by the former’s own admission, thousands of Assamese were being trained in Bengaluru.
“Dear CM @himantabiswa, I hope you remember your remarks last year about the talent pool in Assam. By your own admission, thousands of Assamese are being trained in Bengaluru. I’m glad Karnataka’s ecosystem is able to support the youth of Assam. A simple “thank you” would have sufficed instead of the political rabid comments,” Mr. Kharge wrote on X.
The minister’s sharp response comes after Mr. Sarma called him “a first-class idiot” in response to a question by the media on Monday (October 27, 2025).
‘Insult to Assamese youth’
It all began with Mr. Kharge telling a media house that the Central government was “arm-twisting” semiconductor companies to divert investments, intended for Karnataka, to Assam and Gujarat, both BJP-ruled states. He questioned whether either of the States had talent for such industries.
In retaliation, Mr. Sarma alleged that Mr. Kharge had insulted the youth of Assam. “He has said that Assam doesn’t have educated, competent youth. That is an insult to entire Assamese youth,” he told mediapersons.
‘Words twisted’
To this, Mr. Kharge responded that the Assam Chief Minister and the BJP were twisting his words. “My statement is clear and very specific, it was about how semiconductor companies were being pressured to set up in Gujarat and Assam, even when they had expressed a clear interest in Karnataka because of our engineering talent and established ecosystem,” he wrote on X.
Mr. Kharge further pointed out that even after nearly a decade of BJP rule, Assam ranks among the bottom five States in development indicators like health, education and economic growth. “…Instead of trying to whitewash his failures by giving my statements a political spin, the Chief Minister should ask himself what he’s done for the young people of his state. Why are they leaving Assam to find work elsewhere?” he wrote.
Offering support to Mr. Kharge, Ramesh Babu, Congress’s communications chief, termed Mr. Sarma’s words an “affront to the people of Karnataka, Kannadigas and Dalits.”
‘Dynasty jab’
On October 27, Amit Malviya, in-charge of BJP’s National IT Department, also turned his guns on Mr. Kharge and accused him of being responsible for Karnataka losing out to others.
“Under the so-called Minister of Electronics, IT & BT, Karnataka has lost out on Google’s $15 billion data centre investment — which has now gone to Vizag. Not just that, two semiconductor units, bringing in billions of dollars, have chosen Assam and Gujarat instead of Karnataka. Yet, the 12th pass (or maybe 10th — his own affidavits differ!) Kharge Junior believes no one else has talent! What exactly is his talent, apart from being the son of a rubber-stamp Congress President?” he wrote on X.
Mr. Kharge hit back saying that the only reason Gujarat is getting the semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem is because the Prime Minister has been poaching investments and investors meant for Karnataka, Telangana and Tamil Nadu.
“Even one of your own NDA ministers had questioned the logic of giving a $2 billion subsidy for a project creating just 5,000 jobs — that’s roughly ₹3.2 crore spent per job! Where exactly is Gujarat getting this kind of “divine support”? BTW, this dynasty jab of yours is becoming stale. If you truly have the courage, begin your crusade against dynasties within your own party — start with the Karnataka BJP Chief and his brother or perhaps with the Raksha Mantri’s kin. Lastly, if your non-biological paw-paw can have Parmatma’s krupa for technology, why can’t I? Go figure,” he wrote on X.
Published – October 28, 2025 04:12 pm IST
