📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Prime Minister's Office
Politics
Naidu steps in to calm crowd at Sitharaman’s Madanapalle rally, sparks Congress‑NDA spat
✍️ The Hindu
🗓 05 Oct 2026, 05:01 AM
👁 11
A video showing N. Chandrababu Naidu pacifying attendees at Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s speech in Madanapalle has ignited a political row between the Congress and the ruling NDA alliance.
During a public address by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Madanapalle, Andhra Pradesh, a short video emerged showing senior TDP leader N. Chandrababu Naidu moving among the audience to calm a restless crowd. The clip was quickly shared on social media platforms, drawing immediate attention from political commentators.
The opposition Congress party seized on the footage, accusing the ruling NDA alliance of staging a political spectacle to divert attention from policy debates. In response, BJP and TDP representatives defended Naidu’s intervention as a routine measure to ensure safety and order at the event.
Congress spokesperson described the incident as a manufactured drama, while the NDA partners emphasized that no disorder occurred and the gathering proceeded peacefully after Naidu’s involvement. The episode adds another layer to the heightened political tensions ahead of upcoming state and national elections.
The opposition Congress party seized on the footage, accusing the ruling NDA alliance of staging a political spectacle to divert attention from policy debates. In response, BJP and TDP representatives defended Naidu’s intervention as a routine measure to ensure safety and order at the event.
Congress spokesperson described the incident as a manufactured drama, while the NDA partners emphasized that no disorder occurred and the gathering proceeded peacefully after Naidu’s involvement. The episode adds another layer to the heightened political tensions ahead of upcoming state and national elections.