Uttar Pradesh Energy Minister AK Sharma on Tuesday challenged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to write the word 'Vishwavidyalaya' in Hindi, saying he would cease referring to Gandhi as 'Pappu' if Gandhi did so. Sharma made the remarks at the sidelines of the India Bioenergy and Tech Expo and the 3rd International Conference and Exhibition on Bioenergy and Technologies in Noida, and they subsequently circulated widely on social media.
UP Minister Challenges Rahul Gandhi to Write 'Vishwavidyalaya' in Hindi, Threatens to Drop 'Pappu' Nickname
Uttar Pradesh Energy Minister AK Sharma on Tuesday challenged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to write the word 'Vishwavidyalaya' in Hindi, saying he would cease referring to Gandhi as 'Pappu' if Gandhi did so. Sharma made the remarks at the sidelines of the India Bioenergy and Tech Expo and the 3rd International Conference and Exhibition on Bioenergy and Technologies in Noida, and they subsequently circulated widely on social media.
Sharma also challenged Gandhi to visit a farm and distinguish between a maize field and a sugarcane field, saying Gandhi would be unable to do so.
Sharma further questioned Gandhi's ability to provide the full forms of IIT and IIM in Hindi rather than in English or Italian, repeating the offer to drop the 'Pappu' label if Gandhi succeeded.
On matters of state policy, Sharma said Uttar Pradesh had temporarily paused the rollout of smart meters to allow time to educate consumers about the technology before resuming wider installation.
Sharma said the state had risen to second place nationally in installations under the PM Surya Ghar Yojana, behind Gujarat, and expressed confidence it would reach the top position within a month.
On bioenergy, Sharma said Uttar Pradesh had become the country's largest producer of compressed biogas, with around 60 million tonnes of agricultural waste generated annually and approximately 15,000 tonnes of urban waste produced daily available as feedstock.
Sharma invited domestic and international investors to consider opportunities in the state's bioenergy sector, citing its waste base and policy environment.
- Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party are not quoted or reported as having responded to Sharma's remarks.
- No independent verification is provided for Sharma's claims about Gandhi's Hindi proficiency or agricultural knowledge.
- The source does not report the reaction of expo attendees or any other participants to Sharma's political remarks.
Read the original at The Times of India