CPI(M) leaders responded sharply, accusing the Kerala Congress of aligning with the BJP and criticizing Gandhi's remarks as divisive and politically naive, potentially harming opposition unity.
New Delhi: Ahead of the Monsoon session in Parliament, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's comments comparing alliance partners Communist Party of India (Marxist) with their ideological counterparts Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has stirred up a controversy among the opposition camp.
Speaking at a memorial event in Kottayam on Friday to mark the second death anniversary of former Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, Rahul Gandhi drew a sharp ideological line between himself and both the RSS and the CPI(M). He said that while he challenges both organisations in terms of ideas and public discourse, his core criticism is their lack of empathy for ordinary people.
"I engage with them on an ideological level and through public debate," he noted, “but what truly concerns me is their inability to connect emotionally with the people,” Rahul Gandhi added. He went on to emphasize the importance of emotional sensitivity in politics, stating, "To be in politics, you must understand the pulse of the people — listen to them, relate to their experiences, and connect with them. The real crisis in Indian politics today is that very few leaders genuinely feel what the public feels."
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‘Kerala Congress Working with BJP’
CPI(M) leader John Brittas on Sunday launched a scathing attack and said that the state unit of Congress in Kerala has allied with the Bharatiya Janata Party. Brittas said that rather uniting the opposition, Rahul Gandhi is trying to create confusion among "secular" forces.
"The main job of the opposition leader should be to unite the secular forces instead of creating confusion and division amongst the secular forces. We feel that he (Rahul Gandhi) would be mature enough to understand the writing on the wall. State unit of Kerala Congress is not actually part of the National Congress, they are part of the BJP alliance in Kerala," Brittas told ANI. John Brittas was in the national capital to attend the all-party meeting ahead of the Parliament session, which is set to begin tomorrow.
CPI leader D Raja addressed the issue during the INDIA bloc's online meeting, without directly referring to Rahul Gandhi. He is understood to have suggested that comments likening the Left to the RSS should be avoided, as they could create confusion among party members and harm the unity of the alliance. CPI(M) General Secretary M.A. Baby sharply criticised Rahul Gandhi’s recent remarks, describing them as “unfortunate” and indicative of a lack of political awareness about the realities in Kerala and across India.
“It is quite unfortunate that, in a casual and sweeping manner, Rahul Gandhi equated CPI(M) and RSS as his ideological enemies. 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 CPIM,” MA Baby stated.
