Chandrababu Naidu lands in row over Satya Nadella claim

Andhra Pradesh chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s claim that Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella was inspired by him and went into information technology instead of civil services has become controversial.

Mr Nadella had joined Microsoft in 1992, when Mr Naidu was not even the chief minister of AP. The Microsoft website states that Mr Nadella was working in Sun Microsystems prior to 1992 before joining Microsoft. Mr Naidu became the chief minister for the first time in 1995.

AP Legislative Assembly Public Accounts Committee chairman and YSR Congress MLA B. Rajendranath Reddy on Monday asked Mr Naidu to apologise to the family of Mr Nadella for his alleged false claims.

Mr Naidu, who was speaking at the Nava Nirmana Deeksha, claimed that Mr Nadella’s father, N. Yugandhar, was an IAS officer when he was the chief minister. He had reportedly said that as he (Mr Naidu) was talking about information technology, his son had chosen computers.

Mr Rajendranath Reddy said, “Mr Naidu’s claims are funny. IAS officer Yugandhar worked in AP from 1986 to 1988. Don’t know when he worked in Naidu’s government as the TD chief came into power only in 1995. What he speaks should at least be credible and believable.”

He added, “Satya Nadella, too, never said that he was inspired by Mr Naidu. If as claimed by Mr Naidu, that the whole world was inspired by him, why wasn’t his son, Nara Lokesh, motivated The Andhra Pradesh chief minister should immediately apologise to Satya Nadella for the same.”

The YSRC leader said Bengaluru was far ahead than Hyderabad in IT and Mr Naidu’s claims were hollow. “Bengaluru grew very fast and far ahead than AP during Naidu’s rule. However, Naidu makes a huge noise about IT growth,” said Mr Rajendranath Reddy.

He also brushed aside Mr Naidu’s Olympics claim. “Recently Naidu went to Vizag and witnessed a kabaddi match. Then he announced he would conduct Olympics in Amaravati. Barcelona, which had started attempting in 1929, could only conduct Olympics in 1992. Naidu is trying to make people believe in his false claims. Even the Vizag naval fleet is routine but Naidu claimed it as his credit.”

Mr Rajendranath Reddy further said that after getting his engineering degree in 1988, Mr Nadella travelled to the US to do his postgraduation.