During his Independence Day speech from the Red Fort, Prime Minister Narendra Modi claimed that India had lost 50 to 60 years in developing semiconductor technology, stating that early efforts to establish a semiconductor factory were halted.
"I am not at the Red Fort to criticise any government; I do not want to do it. But the youth of the country should know about it. File work on semiconductors began 50-60 years ago in our country. The idea of a semiconductor factory came forth 50-60 years ago. You would be surprised to know that the idea of semiconductors was killed in the womb 50-60 years ago. We lost 50-60 years," PM Modi said.
In response, Congress MP and General Secretary in charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh, criticised the Prime Minister's statement, calling him a 'pathological liar.' In a post on X, Ramesh contradicted Modi's claim, pointing out that the Semiconductors Complex Ltd in Chandigarh began operations in 1983.
"One more example of what a pathological liar Modi is. Semiconductors Complex Ltd established in Chandigarh started operations in 1983," Jairam Ramesh wrote.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister announced that India is working in a "mission mode" to advance semiconductor manufacturing and is on track to launch its own semiconductor chips by the end of 2025. "We are working on semiconductors on Mission Mode... By the end of this year, Made in India semiconductor chips, made by the people in India, will hit the market," he said. Modi emphasised that the 21st century is a "technology-driven century" and that technological leadership is crucial for national success.
In a separate instance on Thursday, Jairam Ramesh had also accused the Modi government of bias against opposition-ruled states in the allocation of semiconductor manufacturing projects. Ramesh claimed that out of four approved projects, several proposals from non-BJP states were either rerouted or given conditional approval.
In a post on X, Ramesh alleged that a major private company's proposal for a project in Telangana was only approved on the condition that it be moved to Andhra Pradesh. He further claimed that two other projects were moved from Telangana to Gujarat, and a factory initially planned for Tamil Nadu was only approved after it agreed to relocate to Gujarat.
Ramesh stated, "Much earlier, similar transfers of locations were forced through. Two semiconductor manufacturing projects were compelled to shift their proposed location from Telangana to Gujarat. Similarly, another factory planned for Tamil Nadu got approval on the condition that it shifts to Gujarat."
The Congress leader concluded by questioning the fairness of the competition among states, saying, "Need anything more be said? The PM speaks of competition among states that will make India strong. But if the umpire is so blatantly biased, the competition becomes a farce."
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