Pinarayi Vijayan, INDIA bloc ally, slams Rahul Gandhi for ’fighting against Left’

Mangalore Today News Network

Thiruvanantapuram, Apr 02, 2024: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday hit out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for seeking re-election in Wayanad Lok Sabha seat, where he is pitted against Annie Raja of CPI, a party that is a part of the INDIA bloc.

Addressing a press conference, Vijayan said everybody was questioning Rahul Gandhi’s decision to come to Kerala and not fight against the BJP-led Centre.

 

"What is the meaning of this? Rahul Gandhi is the main leader of the INDIA bloc and is fighting against the Left Democratic Front (LDF), which is also a part of the same alliance," he said.

"Who is Rahul Gandhi fighting in Kerala? Can we say he is contesting against (BJP candidate) K Surendran in Kerala? Can we say he came to Kerala to fight against the BJP? He is coming here to contest against the LDF," he added.

He said the INDIA bloc was formed to ensure that the BJP does not come to power for a third consecutive time.

Lashing out at Rahul Gandhi, Vijayan said, "Rahul Gandhi is coming to Kerala and contesting against Annie Raja. She is a national leader of the CPI. She was called anti-national during the Manipur violence for strongly calling out the BJP government’s wrongdoing. It was her fact-finding system that brought to light the cruelty of the Christian population. What was the role of Rahul Gandhi in that? Can he say anything on that?"

He said when the country saw protests over crimes against women in Manipur, "Annie Raja was present everywhere".

"But, did we see the most important leader of the Congress, Rahul Gandhi? They can decide who will contest from where, but the inappropriateness was discussed by the entire country. Everybody is questioning his decision of coming to Kerala and not competing the BJP directly at the Centre," he further said.

Kerala, which has 20 Lok Sabha seats, will vote on April 26. Votes will be counted on June 4.

VIJAYAN ATTACKS CONGRESS OVER KEJRIWAL’S ARREST

Meanwhile, Vijayan chided the Congress for "changing its stand" on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, saying the party had wanted the AAP chief to be arrested for alleged corruption.

"When Manish Sisodia was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate, the Congress asked, ’Why are they not arresting Kejriwal? He was leading the scam’. This was Congress’s stand back then. That continued for some time and now, they have naturally changed its stand," he said.

"I am not questioning Congress’s current stand, but they should have admitted that their stands were wrong back then," he added.

The Kerala Chief Minister said Congress leaders were present at the INDIA bloc rally in Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan on Sunday and called it a "good thing". He also said it was important to stand up against the BJP.

"When the BJP-led Centre is targeting all the Opposition parties, there were Congress leaders who were not able to take the pressure. Rahul Gandhi talked about Ashok Chavan. He cried and told Rahul Gandhi that he cannot go to jail and will join the BJP," Vijayan claimed.

He said, "Rahul Gandhi had publicly admitted that one of the most important leaders from the Congress could not handle the pressure. What is the message that they are giving? Is it okay to quit if one is being threatened? Is that a justification for quitting the party? This is an act that cannot be acceptable".

"When they take decisions over such issues, the Congress should keep the country first and that’s the lesson it should learn from Kejriwal’s arrest," he further said.

Courtesy: India Today