There was a political outcry on Friday when Congress MP and party communications in-charge Jairam Ramesh launched a severe attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his remarks regarding India’s semiconductor journey.
To this end, Ramesh accused Modi of distorting history in response to the PM’s address on Independence Day at the Red Fort. He called Modi a pathological liar.
In his post on X, Ramesh pointed out that the Semiconductors Complex Ltd (SCL) in Chandigarh had already began operations back in 1983 a stark contradiction of Modi’s claim in his speech that India ‘lost 50 to 60 years’ in developing semiconductor technology one more example of how pathological Mr. Modi lies.
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One more example of what a pathological liar Mr. Modi is. Semiconductors Complex Ltd established in Chandigarh started operations in 1983. https://t.co/TQ0lTlAjZb
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) August 15, 2025
Semiconductors Complex Ltd established in Chandigarh started operations in 1983, Ramesh wrote, sharing a clip of the Prime Minister’s speech.
State of Affairs in PM Modi’s Version
Modi said that there had been talk of building a plant for semiconductors but that the projects never got off the ground. This project was conceived half a century ago and “died in the womb,” he said, which has kept India behind for a long time in technology.
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Yet, in an upbeat vein, the Prime Minister pronounced that India would begin to roll out its Made-in-India semiconductor chips by the end of 2025. He claimed this as a “technology-driven century,” which would make leadership in technology a key determinant in the success of a nation.
Demanding Political Bias in Projects
This exchange takes place amidst continuing assaults from Congress over what they call the bias of the Modi government against opposition-ruled states in semiconductor project approvals.
Ramesh stated that while the Centre cleared four semiconductor manufacturing projects, some proposals from non-BJP states were rejected, shifted to locations in BJP-ruled states, or approved only under strict conditions. For example, he said, a major private company’s proposal for Telangana was approved only if relocated to Andhra Pradesh.
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So, two projects meant for Telangana, he said, have been shifted to Gujarat, while another factory originally planned for Tamil Nadu was approved only after agreeing to shift to Gujarat.
The Modi Govt has just green signalled 4 semiconductor manufacturing projects in the country.
After doing detailed home work, a leading private company had submitted its application for a project in Telangana. This was approved on the condition that it relocates to Andhra…
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) August 14, 2025
Political Overtones
Ramesh has ended comments by posing a question on how valid the Prime Minister’s call to states for healthy competition would be. “If the umpire is so blatantly biased, the competition becomes a farce”, he stated.
Both the leaders are adamant and firm on their historical accounts; the semiconductor debate is now yet another flash shaping heated political discourse in India.
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