Chennai: Former AIADMK Minister Sellur Raju, who caused a stir in political circles by sharing a video of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi with the message ‘Naan Parthu Nehilunthu Rasitha Ilam Thalivar’ (the young leader who I watched in awe and adored) in X on Tuesday, deleted the post on Wednesday.
The video, in which Rahul Gandhi is seen talking to youth and children in a crowded restaurant, caused embarrassment to the AIADMK as Raju is a prominent leader of the party, considered to be quite close to general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami.
Some Congress leaders, who were quick in reacting to the post, thanked Raju, who, subsequent to posting the video and the adulatory comment on X, had told a television news channel that he admired the simplicity of Rahul Gandhi and likened it to that of Palaniswami.
He had said that Rahul Gandhi was not just a politician by the son of a former Prime Minister and that his simplicity should be emulated by politicians in the State.
But that sudden admiration of the former Minister for the Congress leader’s simplicity came in for open criticism from within the party and outside of it, particularly supporters of the BJP, since the AIADMK had fought the DMK-led alliance in the State, in which the Congress is a part for quite some time including the April 19 Lok Sabha polls.
Since it triggered speculations of the AIADMK trying to get close to the Congress, the AIADMK leaders were not pleased with the suggestions. Though the top honchos did not openly react. Rajan Chellappa told the media that Raju's views were not acceptable.
With the media, on the other hand, reporting a possible churning in the AIADMK after the election results were announced, if the party finishes behind the BJP, a section of the leaders, who are gearing up to face any internal rebellion, did not want one more embarrassment in the form of suggestions of a possible alliance with the Congress.
Whatever it was, Raju deleted the post, putting an end to the controversy that he had triggered. However many X users took advantage of the opportunity to post an old photograph of Raju from April, 2017, when as Minister he embarked on an experimental project to lay out thermocol sheets on the surface of the Vaigai reservoir to conserve water and prevent evaporation during the scorching summer.
