Andhra CM Counters Ramesh's Claims on Sitharaman Event
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has sharply criticized Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, dismissing his claims of public anger during a recent event featuring Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the state. Naidu took to social media to assert that Ramesh's interpretation of the incident was 'far from reality,' accusing him of mischaracterizing an enthusiastic public response as discontent.
The controversy arose after Jairam Ramesh shared a video, suggesting that Finance Minister Sitharaman herself witnessed significant public anger, necessitating the Chief Minister's intervention to quiet the crowd. Ramesh specifically referenced an interruption by workers from the TDP and Jana Sena parties who sought to hear Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan.
Naidu: Enthusiasm, Not Anger, Required Intervention
Chief Minister Naidu clarified that his brief intervention was solely aimed at ensuring the smooth continuation of the program amidst overwhelming public enthusiasm. "What you are trying to falsely portray as public anger was, in fact, an overwhelming and enthusiastic response from the people," Naidu stated. He added that "Politically motivated social media narratives cannot change what people themselves felt and expressed!"
Naidu further emphasized, "To mistake people’s enthusiasm for anger only reveals how disconnected you are from the mood of the people of Andhra Pradesh and Bharat alike."
Sitharaman and Lokesh Corroborate Naidu's View
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also responded to Ramesh, rejecting his narrative. She explained that both TDP and Jana Sena party workers were eager to interact with their leaders, Naidu and Pawan Kalyan, and the Chief Minister simply promised they would do so after the program concluded. "That was all there is to it," Sitharaman confirmed.
TDP minister Nara Lokesh echoed these sentiments, accusing Ramesh of spreading a false narrative. Lokesh stated, "This is how fake news is manufactured - and then amplified by senior Congress leaders without even bothering to verify the facts." He denied any disruption of Sitharaman's speech by youth demanding jobs, calling such claims "completely false" and a deliberate twisting of a normal interaction with an enthusiastic gathering.