Google deal sparks 'spicy' Andhra-Karnataka spat, Nara Lokesh and Priyank Kharge clash

Google's announcement of a 15 billion dollars investment to establish an artificial intelligence (AI) data center in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh has led to a ‘spicy’ war of words between leaders from Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

Karnataka IT Minister Priyank Kharge shared a post on X with a subtle dig, saying, “Everyone enjoys a bit of spice in their food, but just as nutritionists recommend a balanced diet, economists too advocate a balanced budget.”

He went on to claim that the “neighbour’s” liabilities had ballooned to nearly Rs 10 lakh crore, with a revenue deficit worsening from 2.65 per cent to 3.61 per cent.

“Whatever said and done, we will always be: ‘Neighbour’s envy and Owner’s pride,’” Kharge added.

His post was in response to Andhra Pradesh IT Minister Nara Lokesh’s post saying, “They say Andhra food is spicy. Seems some of our investments are too. Some neighbours are already feeling the burn!” tagging his post with #AndhraRising and #YoungestStateHighestInvestment.

Earlier, he hit at Karnataka leaders, saying, “If they’re inefficient, what can I do? Their own industrialists say infrastructure is bad, there are power cuts. They should first fix those problems.” Lokesh emphasised Andhra Pradesh’s leadership, calling it a “double engine bullet train sarkar” with clear vision and the ability to deliver projects quickly. “When states compete, India wins. I am not here for a Twitter war,” he added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed Google’s AI hub in Visakhapatnam, calling it a major step toward democratising technology in India. He said the multi-faceted investment, which includes gigawatt-scale data center infrastructure, aligns with the vision of a developed India, boosts the digital economy, and secures India’s position as a global technology leader.

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