Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday called Karnataka IT minister Priyank Kharge a “first-class idiot” for allegedly “insulting” Assam’s youth by claiming the state “doesn’t have educated, competent youths” needed for the semiconductor industry — drawing an equally sharp retort from Kharge.
Sarma was responding to Kharge’s reported remark questioning why semiconductor industries were “going to Assam and Gujarat when they want to come to Bangalore”.
“I have raised this issue before. All the investment that is coming to Karnataka is being arm-twisted by the central government to go to Gujarat. What is there in Gujarat? Is there talent there? What is there in Assam? Is there talent there?” Kharge, the son of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, had asked.
In reaction, Sarma told reporters here: “Priyank Kharge is a first-class idiot. He has insulted Assamese youth, and Congress has not yet condemned him. Perhaps, we might file a case against him because he has said that Assam doesn’t have educated, competent youth. That is an insult to the entire Assamese youth. So we are considering whether a case can be filed against him in the court of law. But let me say he is a first-class idiot.”
Sarma later shared a video clip of his statement on X, posting: “Son of @INCIndiaPresident, Priyank Kharge, has insulted Assam’s youth and Assam Cong doesn’t even have the courage to condemn him. He is a FIRST CLASS IDIOT.”
The exchange quickly set social media abuzz.
While Assam has a BJP-led government, Karnataka is ruled by Congress.
The Northeast’s first semiconductor plant is coming up in Assam’s Morigaon district. It is being set up by Tata Electronics Pvt Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Sons Pvt Ltd, at an estimated cost of ₹27,000 crore — the biggest private sector investment in the state. Sarma had said in May that the facility is expected to produce 48 million chips a day, with production likely to begin this fiscal.
Sarma’s cabinet colleague Jayanta Malla Baruah had shared the clip of Kharge’s remarks on Sunday night, accusing Congress of having “always hated Assam’s progress”. He wrote: “Now again @PriyankKharge… dares to question the talent of Assam’s youth, saying our state doesn’t deserve a semiconductor plant! This is not just ignorance, it’s blatant insult to every hardworking Assamese youth… But let them remember this generation won’t forgive or forget their anti-Assam mentality!”
Within hours, Kharge hit back, accusing Sarma and the BJP of “twisting his words as usual” while alluding to the Assam chief minister as a “3rd rate crook” without naming him.
“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. After nearly a decade of BJP rule, Assam today ranks among the bottom five states in crucial development indicators like health, education and economic growth, as per NITI Aayog’s latest report,” Kharge wrote on X.
Attacking Sarma, he added: “The only thing Mr. Sarma has managed to grow is his own wealth. Every major scam or corruption case seems to trace back to his doorstep, while the youth of Assam are left without jobs or opportunities. Instead of trying to whitewash his failures by giving my statements 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?”
Kharge further said: “The BJP’s days in Assam are numbered. When Congress returns to power, our focus will be on skilling, employability and rebuilding faith in governance. We will create an environment where talent thrives in every corner of the state and young people are free from the grip of corrupt governance and divisive politics of a 3rd rate crook.”