Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and his family, alleging that they are “anti-Assam” for their past and recent remarks about the state and its cultural icons.

Speaking to reporters at Kaliabor in Nagaon district, Sarma said, “His (Priyank Kharge) father, Mallikarjun Kharge, had made a very shameful statement even when Dr Bhupen Hazarika was conferred the Bharat Ratna. The entire Kharge family is anti-Assam.”

Sarma accused the Congress chief of disrespecting Bhupen Hazarika and said Priyank Kharge had insulted Assam’s youth through his comments on semiconductor projects. He urged the Congress party to make its leaders aware of Assam’s culture, history, and the strength of its young people.Mallikarjun Kharge had in 2019 questioned the Centre’s decision to award the Bharat Ratna to Bhupen Hazarika, saying Shivakumara Swami, the Lingayat seer from Karnataka, should have been honoured instead.

More recently, his son Priyank Kharge stirred controversy by questioning the Centre’s move to set up semiconductor industries in Assam and Gujarat instead of Bengaluru, asking, “What is there in Gujarat and Assam? Is there talent there?” His remarks sparked widespread political backlash, with several leaders accusing him of disrespecting eastern and northeastern states.

Assam minister Pijush Hazarika also reacted sharply on X, calling the Kharges “serial Assam abusers” and accusing them of mocking Assam’s culture. In another post, he told Priyank Kharge that he had “zero role” in training the state’s youth in Tata facilities and warned that the Congress would face electoral consequences in 2026.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Sarma on Tuesday launched the distribution of cheques to 32,482 women Self-Help Group members under the Mukhyamantrir Mahila Udyamita Abhiyan at Kaliabor. The scheme, aimed at supporting over 40 lakh women across four lakh SHGs, seeks to strengthen their role in building a self-reliant Assam.