Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday claimed the opposition Indian National Congress is opposed to the state’s development and accused it of encouraging young people to resort to militancy, amid a bitter exchange with Karnataka leaders over industrial investment.
Charges of obstruction and youth radicalisation
Speaking in Guwahati, Sarma said: “I think Priyank Kharge, Gaurav Gogoi and the entire Congress ecosystem do not want Assam’s development.” He added there is “no provision in the Constitution that industries will go only to Karnataka,” and questioned why Assam should be denied industrial investment simply because of geography, according to a PTI report.
He went on to allege a deeper threat, stating that the Congress wants the state’s youths to abandon peace and join militancy: “As a result, the youths of Assam will go to ULFA and the jungle as militants. They do not want peace in Assam.”
He positioned this claim as a direct attack on the Congress’s motives in the region. The row was reportedly triggered by remarks attributed to Karnataka’s IT minister, Priyank Kharge, suggesting that investments meant for Karnataka were instead going to Gujarat and Assam.
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Sarma described those comments as “extreme disrespect” to the Northeastern state and urged Congress leaders to reflect on their stance. He emphasised that his government welcomes industry, pointing to plans for a semiconductor unit in Assam and promising more “before the assembly elections next year.”
Both sides appear to be gearing up for the 2026 Assam assembly election, with Sarma’s comments marking a further escalation in rhetoric. He stressed that Assam deserves both dignity and development, and that his government is committed to creating jobs, industry and opportunity for the region’s young people, while warning that obstacles posed by political rivals would not be tolerated.
