On 21 May 2024, former AIADMK Minister Sellur Raju, stirred controversy by sharing a video of Congress scion Rahul Gandhi on the social media platform X. He commented that he was deeply moved by watching the young leader. However, as the post sparked widespread discussion, Raju, downplayed the situation by stating that he shared the video simply because he appreciated Gandhi’s “simplicity.”
The 90-second video clip showed the Congress MP sitting in a crowded restaurant and interacting with people around, including children and youth and taking selfies with them.
நான் பார்த்து நெகிழ்ந்து ரசித்த இளம் தலைவர் !!! pic.twitter.com/3pGpxN9rDS
— Sellur K Raju (@SellurKRajuoffl) May 21, 2024
The Hindu reported that Raju said, “See, how he freely mingles with people in the hotel, whereas even ward secretaries of political parties in Tamil Nadu want to show off by cordoning off seats in public places,” Stating that Gandhi was not just a politician, but the son of a former Prime Minister, the AIADMK leader said he was still so simple and “his simplicity should be emulated by all politicians in Tamil Nadu.”
Political leaders abroad followed a very simple life, he said adding that public life behaviour of politicians in Tamil Nadu had changed in the last few years. Stating that he had followed simplicity from his party leader, M.G. Ramachandran, Raju said even the party general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami led a simple life. “Only Amma (Jayalalithaa) being a woman leader wanted to be different,” he added.
When asked about the timing of his post praising the leader from another party, Raju said he was a student of the ideologies of EV Ramasamy, CN Annadurai and MGR. There was nothing political to read between the lines, he added.
(With Inputs From The Hindu)
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