Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was today befooled by none other than the Puducherry chief minister V. Narayanasamy when the latter provided a grossly incorrect translation of the grievance raised by a woman during a meeting between the Gandhi scion and the fishermen community.
Speaking in Tamil, one of the women in the audience lamented that the ruling Congress government in Puducherry did not help the people when the union territory was ravaged by the cyclone. However, with Rahul Gandhi not being proficient in Tamil, Congress leader and the chief minister of Puducherry, V. Narasyanasamy used the opportunity to give a false account of the woman’s protestation, saying that the woman had lauded him for visiting her during the cyclone and providing her with relief material.
Aandavan 🙏
— C T Ravi 🇮🇳 ಸಿ ಟಿ ರವಿ (@CTRavi_BJP) February 17, 2021
CONgress leaders seem to be competing with Rahul Gandhi in telling lies !
Elderly Woman in Tamil: Government did not help us during cyclone.
Puducherry CM Narayanaswamy to Rahul: She is thanking me for visiting her during cyclone and providing relief 😂 pic.twitter.com/G503woWDQA
While Narayanasamy was successful in pulling the wool over Rahul Gandhi’s eyes, social media users who were proficient in Tamil quickly pointed out the brazen treachery of Puducherry chief minister. Scores of social media users asserted that the chief minister of Puducherry unabashedly misquoted the woman to portray himself as a conscientious leader tirelessly working for the welfare of his subjects.
She says “Coastal area villages are affected .. have you visited us even once”..
— Naveen H ನವೀನ ಎಚ್ नवीन एच्च (@navnh_) February 17, 2021
He translated like “She is mentioning my constant visit after cyclone”
@RahulGandhi This Lady is accusing the CM that he has not visited them even once during the cyclone. She says that the coastal region is in the same condition and no one is giving them any succour or support!
— Sridharan Parthasarathy (@SridharanParth2) February 17, 2021
Women complains to Rahul Gandhi that CM never visited them after Cyclones.
— Ethirajan Srinivasan (@Ethirajans) February 17, 2021
CM translates it to Rahul Gandhi as “She says that CM visited us after cyclone and gave relief materials to us”!
One reason why Congress needs to be politically rooted out! https://t.co/c0tfklRSNX
The woman was apparently complaining about the lack of support from the ruling Congress regime when the Union Territory was devastated by Cyclone Nivar in November last year. The woman asserted that the chief minister did not come to visit them. However, the chief minister twisted her grievance to contend that she is commending him for the work he has done after the cyclone hit the union territory.
Puducherry was severely battered by Cyclone Nivar which made landfall with the Union Territory in the wee hours of 26 November 2020. The total loss that hit Puducherry in November was pegged at Rs 400 crore. The cyclone brought heavy rains over the state. At least three people were killed in Tamil Nadu, over 1,000 trees uprooted and some low-lying areas were marooned due to water-logging following heavy rains.
Rahul Gandhi in Puducherry amidst brewing political crisis
Amidst the brewing political crisis and ahead of election polls in Puducherry, senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was in the Union Territory to kick start the party’s election campaign. As a part of his campaign, Gandhi attended a meeting where he held a dialogue with the fishermen community and later had a discussion with students.
Gandhi’s visit to the Union Territory came in the wake of a political crisis, with the Congress-led government losing the majority and Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi recalled by the President. Since January 2021, Four MLAs of the Congress party have resigned and the ruling coalition of the Congress and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam now has 14 seats in the 33-member assembly. Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundarrajan has been given the additional responsibility of the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry.