Backstabber, immature, weakening INDIA bloc in every state: DMK on Rahul Gandhi
The DMK accused its former ally Congress of using "underhand tactics" to stop INDIA bloc partners from winning Assembly elections, only to seek their support
The DMK accused its former ally Congress of using "underhand tactics" to stop INDIA bloc partners from winning Assembly elections, only to seek their support during Lok Sabha polls. It also alleged that the Congress, with Rahul Gandhi's blessings, had "backstabbed" the party in the recently concluded Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, leading to the collapse of their decades-old alliance. In an editorial in its official organ Murasoli, the DMK mocked Rahul Gandhi for speaking about unity at the recent INDIA bloc meeting, calling it a case of delayed realisation. Read Full Story The paper said his remarks came after he released his June 11 speech from the meeting, at a time when allegations by INDIA constituents against the Congress were being widely discussed and pressure had mounted on the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha to publish the speech on the Congress website. Murasoli asked whether Rahul Gandhi himself was not the person who had damaged opposition unity in every state. It further claimed that the Left parties, the Samajwadi Party and the Rashtriya Janata Dal had all strongly criticised him and said his conduct had weakened opposition cohesion. The editorial said the remarks made by CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas at the INDIA bloc meeting were particularly important. Referring to Kerala, it said the Congress and the CPI(M), both influential parties in the state, had fought each other in the Assembly elections held in April and nobody had objected to that direct contest. It then described Rahul Gandhi's allegation during the campaign as absurd, citing his question: "Why hasn't PM Modi arrested Pinarayi Vijayan? There is a secret deal between the two." According to the DMK paper, the CPI(M) treated that as a serious charge.
Murasoli said it had reproduced Brittas's criticism of Rahul Gandhi at the bloc meeting. According to the paper, Brittas said Rahul had spoken blatant lies during the Kerala campaign by alleging a secret understanding between the Left and the BJP, and had added that the Left did not need a certificate from the Congress to prove its anti-BJP credentials. The editorial also referred to CPI general secretary D Raja's reaction to Rahul Gandhi's remark that "the Left is no longer the Left", saying Raja had called it a sign of political immaturity. It added that while Rahul had defended himself by saying he spoke on facts and had argued that the Left government brought Adani to Kerala, Left parties had hit back by alleging that it was the Congress that brought the conglomerate to the state. The DMK daily also cited Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav as saying that the exit of the DMK and AAP from the INDIA bloc was a major setback. According to Murasoli, Akhilesh had said the issue should be examined seriously to decide whether the alliance should continue on the same path. The paper also said RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav had raised doubts over whether there were secret understandings between Congress and BJP leaders in Bihar on several issues, and had said that despite taking up the matter repeatedly with the Congress leadership, nothing was done to correct it. The editorial further said Rahul Gandhi had remarked that he could not hug Pinarayi Vijayan. It responded by asking whether he was not the same person who had hugged Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Parliament. It then cited Marxist leader Baby as saying: "No one asked Rahul Gandhi to hug Pinarayi Vijayan.
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