Rahul Gandhi’s ‘I Fight RSS, CPM Ideologically’ Remark Triggers INDIA Bloc Rift
A major rift has emerged within the INDIA opposition bloc after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi equated the CPI(M) with the RSS, prompting sharp criticism from Left leaders who flagged the “inappropriate” and “divisive” comments at an alliance meeting on Saturday.
The controversy erupted after Gandhi, speaking in Kottayam, Kerala on Friday, said he fights both the RSS and the CPI(M) ideologically.
“I fight them in the realm of ideas and in the realm of speech. But, my biggest complaint is that they do not have feelings for the people,” the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha said at a memorial for former Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.
Sources said the remark caused immediate unease within the opposition alliance. During a virtual meeting of the INDIA bloc on Saturday, CPI leader D Raja reportedly raised the issue, saying such statements equating the Left with the RSS should be avoided as they create confusion and damage unity.
The sharpest public rebuke came from CPI(M) General Secretary MA Baby, who, in a video message, called Gandhi’s comments “unfortunate” and said they “betray the absence of a correct understanding” of Indian politics.
“Rahul Gandhi only needs to recall how Mr Manmohan Singh could not have formed a government in 2004 without the support of CPI(M) and other Left parties,” Baby said, reminding the Congress leader of past alliances.
Taking a jibe at Gandhi’s recent electoral contest, Baby added, “Rahul Gandhi represented Wayanad, where he did not have to fight the RSS or BJP but a CPI candidate. I hope and wish that he would be more serious while speaking against CPI(M).”
He clarified the Left’s position, stating, “We will make independent criticisms, but we will never equate the Congress with the BJP or RSS.”
The public spat highlights the complex dynamics within the INDIA bloc. While the Congress and Left parties are allies on the national stage against the BJP, they are fierce political rivals in Kerala, where the CPI(M)-led LDF and Congress-led UDF are the main contenders for power.
Meanwhile, leaders at the INDIA bloc meeting also resolved to unitedly raise issues like the Pahalgam terror attack and alleged irregularities in the Bihar voter list revision during the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament, which begins on Monday.
SEO
