Lokesh accuses Jagan of ‘fake sympathy’
- Says YSRCP regime decisions dashed investor confidence
- Condemns Youth Congress disruption at global AI forum
Amaravati: Minister for IT and HRD Nara Lokesh on Saturday mounted a direct attack on former chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, accusing him of “putting on a facade of sympathy” over India’s global image and investment climate.
The remarks came after Jagan criticised the Youth Congress for staging a shirtless protest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi on Friday. Jagan had posted on X on Saturday that the protest was shameful and said political differences should not demean the country on international platforms.
Reacting sharply, Lokesh said Jagan’s statements were ironic in view of what he termed a series of decisions taken during his tenure that, according to him, dented investor confidence.
In his message on X, Lokesh alleged that in 2017 Jagan staged a dharna at an airport to disrupt an investment summit. He further claimed that after assuming office in 2019, Jagan cancelled power purchase agreements signed with global investors, creating uncertainty among investment circles.
Lokesh also pointed to the 2020 decision to scrap the Singapore government-backed Amaravati capital project, stating that the move damaged Andhra Pradesh’s credibility with international partners. He also alleged that in 2025 Jagan wrote to the Reserve Bank of India seeking to block government fund-raising efforts. “The man who did more damage to India’s investment climate than anyone else is now putting on a show of fake sympathy. The hypocrisy is staggering,” Lokesh said.
Lokesh also condemned the Youth Congress for disrupting what he described as a prestigious international platform meant to showcase India’s emergence as an AI superpower. Turning such an event into a political spectacle, he said, diminishes India’s standing before the world and undermines efforts to position the country as a global technology leader.
