YSR Congress party president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy’s attack on his detractors who are criticising his decision to introduce English medium compulsorily in all the government schools has kicked up an intense debate.

Soon after his pungent comments against Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu and Jana Sena Party chief Pawan Kalyan, social media is flooded with comments in favour of and against Jagan’s comments and decision.

TDP general secretary and MLC Nara Lokesh questioned why Jagan had opposed the same decision of his father Naidu who had issued orders introducing English medium in all municipal schools.

In order to buttress his argument, Lokesh attached two paper clippings of Sakshi daily, promoted by Jagan, which carried articles strongly opposing Naidu’s decision to introduce English medium.

“Which medium your daughters were studying in, when your own paper was questioning the introduction of English medium in municipal schools?” Lokesh asked.

Ironically, same clippings were attached along with comments by Pawan Kalyan questioning Jagan’s decision. It clearly indicated that Pawan is keenly following Lokesh.

However, enquiries revealed that Jagan had never opposed introduction of English as a medium of instruction in schools by the Naidu government. There was not a single instance of Jagan making any statement against Naidu’s decision in this regard.

Of course, his own daily Sakshi carried stories questioning Naidu’s orders on English medium without preparing the system for the same. As a newspaper, it had every right to question Naidu’s decisions.

But they cannot be attributed to Jagan’s personal opinions. Had he made any open statements against Naidu, it is justified on the part of his rivals to question him now. When he did not make any comments, how can they target him personally?