Days after the Opposition parties showcased a united face at the INDIA bloc meeting in Delhi, CPI(M) general secretary MA Baby on Saturday slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his remarks on former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and stated that the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha has been urged only to stop being the “facilitator for the ED and PM Modi government”.
The CPI(M) leader’s reaction came in reaction to Rahul Gandhi’s earlier statement where he said that he “cannot hug” Vijayan as he has an ongoing political fight with him. The Congress leader’s statement came while he was speaking at the June 8 Opposition bloc meeting. Following his statement, the left leaders objected to Rahul Gandhi’s and other top Congress leaders remarks before the Assembly polls in the southern state.
“Nobody is asking Rahul Gandhi to hug Pinarayi Vijayan,” Baby said, adding, “On the contrary, all that we are asking is that he stop being a facilitator for the ED and the PM Modi government by demanding the arrest of Pinarayi Vijayan and other Opposition leaders. That is not the job of the Leader of the Opposition.”
What Rahul Gandhi Said?
Addressing the INDIA bloc meet that took place on June 8 in the national capital, Rahul Gandhi said that he cannot hug former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan over his ongoing political fight with him.
“We have our fights, but if you’re asking me to go and hug the ex-Chief Minister of Kerala, I cannot and I will not because I have an ongoing political fight with him,” the Congress leader said, adding, “So, we have to be flexible, and we have to realise that there is a full-scale assault on us trying to prove that the Opposition is weak, is disorganised.
CPI(M) Raises Concern Over Allegations Ahead Of Assembly Polls
According to news agency PTI, during the INDIA bloc meeting, CPI(M) Rajya Sabha leader John Brittas also raised concerns over allegations made during the Kerala Assembly polls campaign, including claims of a tacit understanding between the Left and the BJP.
Ahead of the meeting, Baby also wrote to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and objected to the allegations, describing them as inconsistent with the spirit of cooperation within the Opposition alliance.
(With agency inputs)