'Not scolding, it was just advice'; Tamilisai Soundararajan clears air regarding viral video

CHENNAI: The viral video of Union Home Minister Amit Shah berating former governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan during Chandrababu Naidu's swearing-in ceremony was highly discussed. With the video paving the way for protest from certain caste sections demanding an apology from Amit Shah for publicly humiliating Tamilisai, the former governor came with a post on X to clear the air.

"Yesterday, as I met our Honourable Home Minister Sri Amit Shah ji in AP for the first time after the 2024 Elections he called me to ask about post poll follow-up and the challenges faced. As I was elaborating, due to paucity of time, with utmost concern he advised me to carry out the political and constituency work intensively, which was reassuring. This is to clarify all unwarranted speculations around (sic)," clarified Tamilisai Soundararajan on X.

After BJP’s dismal performance in Tamil Nadu, Tamilisai Soundararajan had implicitly blamed TN BJP chief Kuppusamy Annamalai for the loss. This was big fodder for prime-time debates putting the BJP in a dock.

Union minister Amit Shah’s purported admonishment to Tamilisai is viewed against this backdrop. Meanwhile, DMK leaders pounced on the chance and criticised Amit Shah for his unruly attitude toward Tamilisai on a public stage. The leaders dared the union home minister to do the same with (Finance Minister) Nirmala Sitharaman or (External Affairs Minister) S Jaishankar and said the humiliation was just reserved for Tamilisai.