Video: Amit Shah has a stern exchange with ex-governor Tamilisai amid rumours of infighting in Tamil Nadu BJP

A video showing Union Home Minister Amit Shah seemingly scolding Tamilisai Soundararajan, a top Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former governor of Telangana, is making rounds on social media. The incident unfolded on the sidelines of the swearing-in ceremony of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday (June 12). The brief exchange between the two has now sparked rumours on social media.

The video shows Tamilisai first greeting Amit Shah but later the home minister calls her back and seemingly gives her a dressing down. It is not clear what was discussed but the exchange indeed looks heated and serious.

That looks like a strong admonishment from Amit shah ji to Tamilisai akka . But what could be the reason for this “public” warning ? Unwarranted public comments ? pic.twitter.com/AExfbjak95 — karthik gopinath (@karthikgnath) June 12, 2024

Some are linking the incident to the rumours of infighting in the Tamil Nadu chapter of the BJP, especially between the supporters of Tamilisai and BJP state president K Annamalai.

Meanwhile, BJP's rival Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), the governing party in Tamil Nadu, took a dig at the national ruling party for 'misbehaving with a female politician.'

DMK spokesperson Saravanan Annadurai took to X, saying, "What kind of politics is this? Is it polite to publicly reprimand a prominent female politician from Tamil Nadu? Amit Shah should know that everyone will see this. A very wrong example!"

There is reportedly a pushback from BJP's state functionaries in Tamil Nadu against Annamalai after the party failed to open its account in the state in the recently-held Lok Sabha elections.

Party workers reportedly blame Annamalai for the loss, saying his approach led to the severity of the ties between BJP and their former ally AIADMK, which led to significant losses.

Earlier, AIADMK too blamed Annamalai for their poor performance, which also drew a blank in the state. Annamalai had said that AIADMK's third-place finish in several seats where the BJP or its allies came second was a victory for his party.

"Only one leader is responsible for this massive defeat of everyone. For his inexperience, all parties in Tamil Nadu faced this tragic result," former AIADMK minister RB Udhayakumar said while targeting the BJP state chief.

(With inputs from agencies)