Guwahati, Oct 1 : Assam Minister Pijush Hazarika has demanded an unconditional apology from Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge and Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge alleging insult to the Assamese people.

Hazarika said on Tuesday, 'Priyank Kharge, who is the son of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge humiliated the people of Assam by saying that we do not have an ecosystem for having a semiconductor manufacturing unit. This is a huge insult to our people. They should immediately apologise to Assamese people.'

He has also asserted that the citizens of the Jagiroad Assembly constituency where the semiconductor manufacturing unit is coming up are set to take out a protest rally on Tuesday. Notably, Hazarika was elected to the Assembly from the Jagiroad Assembly segment.

The Minister said, 'There is a procession to mark a protest against Congress culture of demeaning Assam's people on multiple occasions. I will also take part in the protest rally.'

'Priyank Kharge's statement reflects the mindset of the whole Congress as his father, Mallikarjun Kharge holds the chair of the national president of the opposition party. They have never loved the people of Assam else the Congress leaders could have taken initiatives for the development of the state,' he added.

To recall, Priyank Kharge had posted on his social media handle, 'Five semicon manufacturing units, four are in Gujarat, and one is in Assam, but they don't have an ecosystem of skills there. They don't have an ecosystem of research there. They don't have an ecosystem of incubation. They don't have a system of ecosystem of innovations'when 70% of the chip designing talent lies in Karnataka, I don't understand why the government wants to push to another state by using political clout. That is unfair.'

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma sharply reacted to Congress leader and Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge's criticism of setting up the semiconductor manufacturing unit in Assam and Gujarat by the Central government asserting that the grand old party has an agenda of opposing the development of the northeastern state.

CM Sarma wrote on his X handle, 'Once again, Congress shows its true colors by opposing Assam's development. A Karnataka minister, who is also the son of the Congress national president, claims that Assam has no right to host a semiconductor industry! I urge Assam Congress leaders to reject this divisive thinking and stand up for Assam's rightful growth and progress.'

/IANS