Thrissur: CPM general secretary M A Baby hit out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his reported statement that he would not hug Kerala opposition leader and CPM veteran Pinarayi Vijayan. Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the EMS Smrithi programme in Thrissur on Saturday, Baby emphasized that national-level functionaries should adhere to norms of propriety and decency when issuing statements on political issues.
Baby's Remarks on CPM's Sacrifices
Baby questioned which party other than CPM had fought against RSS and other Sangh Parivar outfits at ideological and political levels so vehemently, making huge sacrifices. He stated that senior leaders like Gandhi and Mallikarjuna Kharge must leave it to their Kerala functionaries to make absurd statements like 'CPM-BJP alliance'. The national brass should focus on more substantive and non-concocted issues.
On the 'Hug' Controversy
Baby clarified that he was not suggesting Rahul must hug Pinarayi; the urge to hug a person comes from the heart and cannot be done with any compulsion. He noted that everyone has seen the picture of Rahul hugging Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Criticism of Congress-DMK Alliance
Baby also criticized the way Congress severed ties with DMK in Tamil Nadu after enjoying all the benefits of the alliance. He accused Congress of craving for power, which prompted it to take such a step. Baby added that CPM supported TVK after informing DMK.
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