Another skirmish in the social media war has erupted between the Information Technology (IT) Ministers of Andhra Pradesh and neighbouring Karnataka, Nara Lokesh and Priyank Kharge, this time over the contentious issues of investment and state debt.
The latest round began when Lokesh posted on X (formerly Twitter): "They say Andhra food is spicy. Seems some of our investments are too. Some neighbours are already feeling the burn!" He boasted that India’s rising ‘youngest state’ had secured the highest investment, alluding to the recent USD 15 billion Google AI data centres investment commitment in the port city of Vizag, which was formally signed in New Delhi.
Priyank Kharge swiftly responded with a veiled retort on X, shifting the conversation to Andhra’s financial stability. He wrote: "Everyone enjoys a bit of spice in their food, but just as nutritionists recommend a balanced diet, economists too advocate a balanced budget. The neighbour's total liabilities have now ballooned to nearly ₹10 lakh crore."
The Congress-ruled Karnataka IT Minister claimed that Andhra Pradesh had borrowed ₹1.61 lakh crore in just one year under the N Chandrababu Naidu-led NDA alliance government. Furthermore, he highlighted that Andhra Pradesh’s revenue deficit to GSDP has "worsened," rising from 2.6 per cent to 3.6 per cent.
Kharge concluded his post by referencing a classic advertising slogan: "Whatever said and done, we will always be: 'Neighbour's envy and Owner's pride'."
This latest exchange follows an earlier, public online feud. Recently, Kharge had sharply criticised his Andhra Pradesh counterpart’s attempts to attract disgruntled Bengaluru-based start-ups and firms into his state as 'desperate scavenging,' even hinting that it amounted to parasitic behaviour.
That initial online slugfest began when Rajesh Yabaji from BlackBuck, a logistics start-up, tweeted that it was becoming 'very hard to continue' operating from Bellandur in Bengaluru. Lokesh had immediately pounced on the opportunity to lure the firm to relocate to Vizag.
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